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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



SHALL 



Woman Preach? 



OR 



THE QUESTION 
ANSWERED, 

BY 

1/ 

MRS. LOUISA M. WOOSLEY. 







CANEYVILLE, KY, 

1891. 



y&i b 



Copyright, 1891, 
by mrs. louisa m. woosley 

Caneyvllle, Ky. 



b 



The Library 
of Congress 



WASHINGTON 



TO 
CHRISTIANS 

STRIVING FOR A MORE 

COMPLETE MASTERY OF THIS QUESTION, 

AND TO THOSE 

EARNESTLY SEEKING THE TRUTH, 
IS THIS LITTLE BOOK, 

Most Affectionately Dedicated 

BY 

L. M. W. 



INTRODUCTION 



In appearing before the public for the first time as an 
author, I am not insensible to the criticism to which 
this little volume may be subjected. I claim no perfec- 
tion, in either the style or matter of the composition, as 
I make no pretension to scholarship. My chief aim has 
been to present biblical truths in such a form that 
the anxious inquirers after truth may be better able to 
understand the commands and will of God respecting 
the much-disputed question of the ordination of women. 
I have written this little book with an eye single to the 
fact, that " of making many books there is no end ; and 
much study is a weariness to the flesh." 

To avoid being lengthy, I have made my arguments 
as plain and as pointed as possible, and hope that the 
reader will lay aside any preconceived notions, and give 
this investigation an honest hearing. I have confined 
my remarks exclusively to an investigation of what the 
English Scriptures teach on this subject. I am willing 
for an impartial public to test the contents of this vol- 
ume by the sacred text, without consulting Prof. A., 
Dr. B., or the law of Mr. C. I know it has been boast- 
fully said, that "women have no right to preach. 1 ' 
Lately, however, the times have changed. America now 

7 



8 Introduction. 

has a hundred women preachers to where she had only 
one forty years ago, and these women are recognized as 
preachers by all denominations common among us. 
Even the Baptists have ordained women to the work of 
the gospel ministry. 

Finally, this little volume is given to the public, with 
the sincere desire on the part of the author, to promote 
Bible truths, and to aid others in deciding to help us in 
the spread of the gospel. My chief design has been to 
be a guide to those who are earnestly desiring to know 
the truth on this much-vexed question ; to afford a con- 
cise, yet comprehensive, Bible argument for tbe benefit 
of the mass of common readers ; to aid in procuring, if 
possible, more uniformity of sentiment and practice in 
the Church to which the author esteems it an honor to 
belong. I ask the reader to divest himself of all preju- 
dice; to read this little volume carefully and prayer- 
fully, before he comes to the conclusion that it teaches 
error. Be sure that you can prove by the Word of God 
that it is wrong. If you cannot disprove the author's 
position by a " Thus saith the Lord," then have the 
courage of conviction to embrace all the truth herein 
taught. And now may the Holy One in Israel, in whose 
Church there is " neither male nor female," enlighten 
you, and lead you into all truth, and enable you to "be 
ready always to give every man that askethyou a reason 
of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear." 

This little book is sent forth after much prayer, and 



Introduction. 9 

careful investigation of God's Word, with the hope that 
it may help all, into whose hands it may fall, to a better 
understanding of the truth ; and that it may be wielded 
by the great Head of the Church as an instrument for 
the spread of truth and righteousness. L. M. W. 

Caneyville, Ky., April 20th, 1891. 



CONTENTS, 



PAGE. 

Objections Answered . . . . . . 11 

Woman 47 

Woman in the Garden 48 

"Behold, I have set before thee an open door" . 68 
" And they came, both men and women " .86 

Christian and Pagan Womanhood .... 95 
" The truth shall make you free " . . . .117 
By What Authority? ...... 143 

Deborah 167 

The Outlook 169 

My Call to the Ministry 189 



OBJECTIONS ANSWERED. 

o 

The objections to woman's preaching and 
ordination, are very numerous, and as friv- 
olous as numerous. Our object in this chapter 
is to investigate these objections carefully, and 
to answer them biblically, and in the light of 
reason. 

1. Some say women ought not to preach, 
because Paul condemns it (or rather, forbids 
it). "Let your women keep silence in the 
churches: for it is not permitted unto them 
to speak."— I. Cor. 14:34. Well, then, if we 
are to obey this injunction strictly, and to 
compel our women to keep silence in the 
churches, see what follows. We take all the 
women out of our choirs, and oh! what music 
we would have with our male voices and our 
bass singers ! But you insist that nothing is 
said against their singing, but against their 
speaking. Very well, then, women are not to 
speak in the church courts at all. If that is 
what is meant, it does seem that, either we 
have been dull of comprehension, or very re- 
bellious. In many of our church courts the 

voice of woman has been heard, and is still be- 
ll 



12 Shall Woman Preach f 

ing heard. For example, we refer to the 
General Assembly, which met at Union City, 
Tenn., May, 1890. In the presence of a large 
audience, and right in the midst of, the 
transaction of business by that intelligent 
body, a woman (Mrs. Louisa Ward) was called 
for. She mounted the rostrum, and we all 
heard her voice, as she stood for forty minutes 
defending her own cause. All this was in 
opposition, too, to what Paul said, as some 
would have us believe. 

If we are to give Paul a literal interpreta- 
tion, then women may not even pray or 
talk in church, for they are not permitted to 
speak. Where then is the authority for their 
testifying for Christ at all? If those persons, 
who insist on a literal interpretation of these 
passages of Scripture, are consistent, and want 
our confidence, they will never call upon an- 
other woman to take part in a praise-meeting: 
since it is impossible for a woman to praise 
the Lord, or testify for Jesus, without speak- 
ing. Just as long as they allow women to talk 
in these meetings, we will be constrained to 
believe they are acting in bad faith: for Paul 
says they are not permitted to speak, but to be 
in silence. Then why allow her even to sing? 
this breaks the silence. It is indeed a good 



Or the Question Answered. 13 

thing to practice what we preach; and if we 
fail to do so, there is a contradiction. If 
these objectors want our confidence, they must 
change either their practice or their preach- 
ing. They must not allow their women to 
pray, talk, or even sing in churches : since Paul 
says "Let your women keep silence." 

Has it been the experience of these ob- 
jectors, that the prayers, songs, and admoni- 
tions of godly women, have done them, or 
the cause of Christ an injury? Who can say 
he has been harmed by the talk of a good 
Christian woman? Many, who shall read these 
pages, have been led to accept Christ through 
the instrumentality of woman. Many hearts 
have overflowed with love, and have swelled 
with thankfulness to God for her prayers and 
testimonies. Why then (how can any one ob- 
ject?) object when women speak or pray? 
Why invite them to come to Christ, or seek 
salvation at all? since they are forbidden to 
tell it if the Lord blesses them. It is like in- 
viting them to your house, and then forbidding 
them to speak to you; or, to your table, and 
not allowing them to eat; or, like asking a 
thirsty, way-worn traveler to your well, and 
then refusing him drink. 

If it is a shame for a woman to speak in the 



i4 Shall Woman Preach 9 

church, why ask her to give evidence of a 
change of heart, or to relate her Christian ex- 
perience, when she comes forward and asks 
membership in the church? If a woman were 
to come forward to join the church, and the 
pastor should say, Well, my sister, tell us what 
the Lord has done for you. She makes no re- 
ply, and we think it very strange. Then we 
fancy the preacher says, Do you feel that your 
sins have been pardoned? She sits like a pad- 
lock was upon her mouth. Then he says, Do 
you want to join the church? And still she 
sits as mute as a mummy. You say, well there 
is something wrong; that woman must be 
crazy. Whereupon Paul rises up and says, 
oh no; that is all right: "For it is a shame 
for women to speak in the church." 

If this objection is sound, we would better 
do as we sometimes tell children to do, when 
they are studying arithmetic, and have their 
slates covered with figures, and everything is 
in confusion: we say, rub out and begin anew. 
So we should get a new charter, and leave 
the women clear out. If we would under- 
stand the meaning of this passage, let us 
read a little farther. "But they are com- 
manded to be under obedience, as also saith 
the law. And if they will learn anything, let 



Or the Question Answered. 15 

them ask their husbands at home : for it is a 
shame for women to speak in the church." 
The law which Paul mentions, is that which 
refers to every man's having his own wife, and 
every woman her own husband (Gen. 3: 16): 
hence the instruction, "Let them ask their 
husbands at home." But oh! how I do sym- 
pathize with the old maids and the widows, 
for whom Paul makes no provision ! And still 
there is a larger class of women whose hus- 
bands do not go to church, and are not re- 
ligious, that need our sympathy. We can call 
the roll of a great number w T ithin our own 
knowledge, of women who are our best work- 
ers, and the most active in church work; but 
send them to their husbands for advice or in- 
struction, and what could they learn? What! 
could Paul have meant that these wives must 
look to their wicked, and even skeptical hus- 
bands to be advised! That would be learning 
with a vengeance! If she must learn from 
him at home in silence, why go to church 
at all? 

We are now standing on the threshold of 
paganism. Between this extreme and heathen- 
ism, there is but one more step. We can al- 
ready feel its chains around us twining, and its 
hurtful breezes fanning our brows. As we 



16 Shall Woman Preach f 

look through the half-open door, we see the 
wife bowing to her husband. The Veda de- 
clares she shall have no other god but her hus- 
band, or those he delights to worship. Who 
will step over the line and join hands with 
heathenism? Who will compel our women to 
bow to their husbands, and render to them 
alone complete and strict obedience? If we 
give Paul a literal interpretation, nothing short 
of this will answer. 

But we will give our objectors all the rope, 
and admit that it is meant that there are cer- 
tain times and circumstances when women 
ought to keep silence — when it would be a 
shame for them to speak publicly in the 
church. Cumberland Presbyterians teach, in 
accordance w T ith the Bible, that the bad are 
gathered with the good into the Church. 
"They are not all Israel which are of Israel," 
and sometimes these give us a great deal of 
trouble. Being guilty of very grave offenses, 
such as, dancing, gambling, horse-racing, 
drinking, and even adultery. These parties 
must be dealt with, and after complying with 
certain prescribed rules, if we fail to gain 
them, we are to tell it to the church. Of 
course under these circumstances, it is a shame 
for a woman to speak in the church. Hence 



Or the Question Answered. 17 

the admonition, "Let all things be done de- 
cently and in order." According to Presby- 
terian polity, a committee may be appointed to 
see after these matters privately, and so the 
shame from having such offenses brought be- 
fore the public, may be avoided, at least to 
some extent. 

The very same record that says, let the 
women keep silence in the churches, also says 
let the men (and that too in the very same 
church) keep silence in the church (see I. Cor. 
14: 28). So according to Paul, there is a time 
when men should keep silence in the church, 
as well as the women. But this is a church in 
confusion, and he admonishes the men to keep 
silence in such churches ; and common sense 
itself teaches us, that under such circum- 
stances, "It is a shame for women to speak in 
the church." "For God is not the author of 
confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of 
the saints." (verse 33). 

It is evident that the scripture referred to in 
verse 34, applies solely to married women, and 
it has no reference to religious worship of any 
kind. If it does, then a woman must sit in 
church as mute as a mummy. If she even 
sings she breaks the silence, and thereby be- 
comes disobedient. God has made no dis- 
2 



18 Shall Woman Preach ? 

tinction in his kingdom between matron and 
maid. They all have the same happy priv- 
ileges. There is no such thing as one gospel 
for the matron and another for the maid. In 
the law referred to (Gen. 3: 16), "Thy desire 
shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over 
thee," the obedience spoken of has no refer- 
ence to worship of any kind, and surely not to 
public meetings, but to the obedience that is 
due from wife to husband. If worship is 
meant, the husband is lord over the wife's 
conscience, and the only one to whom she 
must give an account. Can he answer for her 
in judgment? Has she been left out of the 
covenant of grace? Is she in the world with- 
out any sure light to guide her? amenable to 
no law, human or divine, except that of her 
husband, to which she must render perfect 
obedience? Is her husband to be her only 
teacher, from w r hom she must learn in silence 
with all subjection? 

2. Again Paul says, "But I suffer not a wom- 
an to teach, nor to usurp authority, over the 
man, but to be in silence." — L Tim. 2:12. 
With some, this forms a serious objection. 
They are so afraid that the woman will usurp 
authority, that they will say she is a usurper, 
if she undertakes to preach, or even to speak 



Or the Question Answered. 19 

in public. This does not necessarily follow. 
Webster says, usurp means, "To seize and hold 
in possession by force, or without right." 
Usurpation then is an illegal seizure, or wrong- 
ful possession; and in order to be usurpers, 
women must take by force, without any right. 
He who believes that women are usurping 
authority when they pray or praise God aloud, 
can believe anything. Woman may preach and 
not usurp authority. And if she be ordained 
to the full work of the gospel ministry, she 
may, if selected by our church courts, preside 
over their deliberations, and not be a usurper. 
The same record says, "But I suffer not a 
woman to teach." Now we would like for the 
objector to take this along too ; and if he wants 
even to imitate consistency, let him put his 
women out of office in the Sunday-school: for 
they are not allowed to teach. But if they can 
teach a class of , boys in the Sunday-school, 
why not teach them from the pulpit? If we are 
always to have a literal interpretation of the 
Bible, then we insist on having a strict obedi- 
ence in every case. Also, the objector must 
not allow women to wear " braided hair, or 
gold, or pearls, or costly array" — Paul forbids 
it. — I. Tim. 2:9. Who believes that Paul meant 
to teach us that it is wrong for- a woman to 



20 Shall Woman Preach ? 

wear a gold watch, or a ring set with pearls? 
Yet this is without doubt the literal meaning 
of this scripture. "Let not a widow be taken 
into the number under threescore years old, 
having been the wife of one man." "But the 
younger widows refuse." — I. Tim. 5:9-11. 
Now whoever heard of a church refusing to 
help a woman because she was a widow? If 
she is worthy to receive help, and in distress, 
the Church will assist her regardless of age. 
But she cannot afford to do so, if we are to 
obey Paul to the letter. If this scripture 
requires a literal rendering, where shall we 
stop? Why not expect ministers literally to 
heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and to cast 
out devils? They ought to provide neither 
silver nor gold for their journey. They ought 
not to salute any man by the way. 

Christ, the great Teacher, said, "Whosoever 
therefore shall confess me before men, him 
will I confess also before my Father which is 
in heaven."— Matt. 10:32. It is here taught 
that we ought to confess Christ, but if we give 
Paul a literal interpretation, then women are 
prohibited from confessing him : for "Let your 
women keep silence in the churches." Now in 
the commonest sort of reason, how can a wo- 
man confess Christ before men without break- 



Or the Question Answered. 21 

ing this silence? If she does this she becomes 
a transgressor; yet if she does not confess 
Christ, he says he will not confess her before 
his Father in heaven. Poor woman ! she 
stands a bad chance, as transgressors have no 
part with Christ, and those who will not con- 
fess him, he does not own as his children. 

Notice that Paul said, "I suffer not a woman 
to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man." 
He did not say usurp authority over the Church, 
but over the man. Is it possible that a woman 
cannot sing, pray, or teach a Sunday-school 
class, or preach the gospel, without usurping au- 
thority over the man? Have you ever heard of 
any woman who felt that she was called of God 
to preach, who tried to force herself upon the 
Church, or upon the public? Does she try to 
usurp authority by putting restrictions upon the 
mouths of men? We are sure that the women 
are not trying to take the gospel, or any church 
privileges from the'men; neither do they de- 
sire to rule over them. Their object is rather 
to stand by his side — where God intended she 
should stand — as an helpmeet. 

It seems that this subject, as all others, has 
two extremes. Those who are so bitter against 
woman's usurping authority, are in danger of 
becoming usurpers themselves, by passing over 



22 Shall Woman Preach? 

the line and going to the other extreme. As a 
Church, we claim to occupy a medium ground. 
Then we should not cast the woman down be- 
low man, nor raise her up above him. Side by 
side shall they stand, sharing in the responsi- 
bilities of life, and bearing together the heat 
and burden of the day. Let neither usurp 
authority over the other, as both are raised 
from a dead level in sin, to,a living perpendicu- 
lar in Christ. "By strength shall no man prevail. ' ' 
3. These two passages are the only ones in 
the Bible that even seem to indicate that a 
woman shall not preach, while those in the af- 
firmative are very numerous. Some object be- 
cause there was not a woman among the 
Twelve. This we admit, but that is no reason 
why she should not preach, or even be ordain- 
ed. The objectors ask boastfully, If the Lord 
intended for women to preach, why were they 
not represented among the Twelve? If the 
why is the question, we will right now ask 
several w T hys. Why were the twelve patriarchs 
all men? Why was it that when Jesus ascend- 
ed the Mount of Transfiguration he took with 
him only Peter, James and John? Why not 
take the Twelve and even the seventy? Why 
was it that when Jesus raised Jairus' daughter, 
that he suffered only Peter, James, and John to 



Or the Question Answered. 23 

go in to witness the miracle? Canst thou by 
searching find out God? "Who hath been his 
counsellor?" "Who hath known the mind of 
the Lord?" "God moves in a mysterious way 
His wonders to perform." He works when and 
where he pleaseth. 

Do you say the commission was given to the 
Twelve? That no women were present, and 
consequently, woman has no right to ordina- 
tion? Well then she has no right to a place at 
the Lord's Supper, because it was instituted 
with only the Twelve present. Has she no 
right to commemorate the sufferings and death 
of her Lord? But the objector says she has, 
on the ground that she was included in the 
man, and from the fact that Christ said, 
"Drink ye all of it," and because Paul said, 
"As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this 
cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come." 
They will tell us that the women are included 
in the y-e, ye. Well, then, why are they not 
included in the broad commission, "Go ye 
therefore, and teach all nations?" It is the 
very same word in each case — Drink y-e, #e, 
and Go y-e, ye. It will be borne in mind that 
these w T ords fell from the same lips (Christ's), 
and w^ere spoken to the very same persons. 
Then can it be possible that he included the 



24 Shall Woman Preach? 

men only one time, and the other time, the 
men and the women? If so, which time did 
he include the women? Who will say? 

These objectors must remember that the 
Twelve were commissioned by the crucified, 
dead, buried, and risen Christ, to preach 
through him as their living head, repentance 
and remission of sins: in other words, to dis- 
ciple all nations. In doing this, they preach a 
risen Savior; for it is the living Christ that 
saves. We to-day preach him as, "the way, 
the truth, and the life;" as "the end of the 
law for righteousness to every one that be- 
lieveth." But the Twelve were not the first 
ones commissioned to preach a risen Lord. 
The world's Redeemer saw fit, in his wisdom, 
to bestow this honor upon woman. To her he 
first manifested himself, and spoke words of 
cheer, quieting her fears, and drying up her 
tears. When she recognized him, she drew 
near to worship him, but "Jesus saith unto her, 
Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to 
my Father; but go to my brethren, and say 
unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and 
your Father, and to my God, and your God." — 
Jno. 20: 17. "Go tell my brethren that they 
go into Galilee, and there shall they see me." 
—Matt. 28: 10. 



Or the Question Answered. 25 

The women returned from the sepulcher, 
and told these things to the eleven and to all 
the rest — yea, they departed with great joy, 
and did run to bring the disciples word. But 
it is said, "Their words seemed to them as 
idle tales, and they believed them not." We 
do not know how many women there were, 
neither can we give all their names, for they 
are not revealed. To say the least of it, there 
could not have been less than five (see Luke 
24:10). So "It was Mary Magdalene, and 
Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and 
other women" that w 7 ere commissioned — that 
too by Christ himself, and prior to the commis- 
sioning of the Twelve. We have no knowl- 
edge of any higher authority; and if there is 
anything in priority of claim, the women have 
the better right to preach. 

4. Yet others object to the ordination of 
women because there were no women among 
the seventy disciples. It now becomes neces- 
sary for them to prove that there w r as even 
one man among them. Upon this point the 
Bible is silent. 

5. Some say, We object because the Con- 
fession of Faith has made no provision for the 
ordination of women. This we frankly admit. 
And is it not a fact that it has failed to make 



26 Shall Woman Preach ? 

provision for the women with regard to the 
sacrament of the Lord's Supper? Yet they are 
allowed to surround the sacramental board 
with the men. Has it made any provision for 
an elder to sit or act as Moderator in any of 
our church courts (see p. 85, sec. 17)? But 
this has been permitted even by the General 
Assembly. 

In the minutes of the General Assembly, 
which met at Evansville, Ind., 1880, we have 
the report of the Judiciary Committee on this 
question (p. 35, report 7) as follows: — "The 
Judiciary Committee beg leave to report that 
they have duly considered memorial and refer- 
ence of Brazos Synod, presenting the question 
of the eligibility of elders for the position of 
Moderator in the judicatories of the Church, 
Your committee are of opinion, and so report, 
that by the form and genius of our govern- 
ment, there is no discrimination between the 
ministers and elders constituting our Presby- 
teries, Synods, and General Assembly, as to 
powers, duties, and eligibility to office in said 
courts. Such a discrimination would be dis- 
paraging to one-half of said bodies, and 
destroy that equality in dignity and power, 
which was intended to exist. To produce this 
effect would require some express provision. 



Or the Question Answered. 27 

The omission of such provision, your com- 
mittee considers almost conclusive, that none 
such was intended. The long existing usage, 
which will perhaps continue, of selecting min- 
isters to moderatorship is very different from 
the question of legal eligibility. Your com- 
mittee are therefore of opinion, and so report, 
that it is the right of judicatory to elect any 
member of their body, either minister, or elder, 
to preside over their deliberations, and that 
every member is equally eligible, whether he 
be a minister or elder." — R. L. Caruthers, 
Ch'm. 

This report was concurred in : which thing 
of itself shows that the General Assembly is < 
not willing to be governed by the silence of 
the Confession of Faith. It is silent on the 
baptism of women, and on a great many other 
things that we practice. If we are to be gov- 
erned by the silence of the Confession of 
Faith, then elders are not to preside over our 
church courts; women must not preach, or 
even pray in public ; they must not partake of 
the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, and even 
be refused the sacrament of baptism; she 
must not teach in the Sunday-school, nor go as 
a missionary to the heathen lands : for upon 
all these points the Confession is as silent as 



28 Shall Woman Preach ? 

death. Who can believe that the compilers of 
this book ever thought of such a thing as the 
Church's being governed by its silence? Who 
will plead for such a course? 

By such an admission, and by the fickleness 
of some ; we are reminded of the fable of the 
hawk and the bat. All these objectors occupy 
the same position ; they have no sure founda- 
tion, and are just floating about. If one of 
their puny arguments fails them, they resort to 
something else. They are like the bat when 
caught by the hawk. The hawk says: "You 
sweet little bird, I'm going to eat you." "Oh, 
no," says the bat; "you would not eat me! for 
I'm a mouse." "Well then," says the hawk, 
"I will let you go; for I ate a mouse a few 
days ago, and it made me so sick, I don't care 
about having another vomit. " So the little bat 
flew away very happy, because the hawk had 
been so clever as to let him go. Another day 
a cat caught him when she was in search of 
food, and as she walked off with her prey, she 
said, "What a nice mouse I have for dinner." 
"Oh no," says the bat; "you would not eat 
me! I'm no mouse; I'm only a little bird." 
And he flapped his wings. "Well then," said 
the cat, "I'll let you go: for only the other 
day I ate a bird, and I became choked on the 



Or the Question Answered. 29 

feathers, and I nearly died." And again the 
little bat flew away, hardly knowing whether 
he was a bat, a mouse, or a bird. 

These objectors would sometimes have us 
believe that they are birds of the finest 
plumage, but w^hen they are about to be used 
up, their "feathers fall," and they would 
feign themselves to be mice, and begin to beg 
the question ; and like the bat fly away. In 
reality, they are neither birds nor mice — only 
bats flying around in the dark, because the 
light hurts their eyes. 

6. Again, others object because there are 
no instances recorded in the Bible of a 
woman's being ordained, and they say, there is 
no scripture in favor of such a course. In a 
sense, we will admit this. But when they say, 
Show us when and where any woman was ever 
ordained, we can ask with as much propriety, 
when and by whom were Luke, Mark, 
Apollos, Titus, and Aquila ordained? If they 
can answer, may we not tell when Mary, Pris- 
cilla, Junia, Tryphena, Tryphosa, and Phebe 
were ordained? No man can show us these 
things ; but they still say, Show us the scripture 
for ordaining a woman. Well, let them show 
us the scripture for licensing men, and we can 
tell them where to find the last named. Begin 



30 Shall Woman Preach? 

and carefully read your Bible, and when you 
come to where it says license men to preach, 
mark the place : tjien read on — the next verse 
says ordain women. In truth, it is a fact, 
there is no scripture for licensing men; yet it 
is common, and nothing is said about it. Why 
this unfairness and inconsistency? Show your 
scripture for permitting women to partake of 
the Lord's Supper, and when this is done, you 
will be able to prove that women have a right 
to ordination. 

7. Another objection (they say) is, Woman 
cannot fulfill the commission. She may preach, 
but she cannot baptize; that is, immerse. This 
objection deserves only a passing notice, since 
our Confession of Faith does not say immerse 
(any more than it says ordain a woman); yet 
our Church practices immersion, notwith- 
standing our Confession says, that baptism is 
rightly administered by pouring or sprinkling 
water upon the person (see p. 55, sec. 101). 
This mentions only pouring and sprinkling, yet 
we claim that it recognizes immersion as bap- 
tism: but oh, how silently does it teach it! and 
yet we practice it. Now in the light of reason, 
can we not with as much propriety (according 
to the Conf. of Faith), ordain women as we 
can baptize by immersion? Is it not as much 



Or the Question Answered. 31 

in sympathy with the ordination of women, as 
with elders, who preside over our church 
courts? 

8. Again, some say, We believe woman has 
a right to preach, but not to ordination. They 
say, Endorse her as an evangelist, and let her 
go. Well, that is one way of "whipping the 
Devil around the stump." We would like to 
see a "thus saith the Lord" for such a pro- 
cedure. The Cumberland Presbyterian 
Church has no law for such a course. The 
Confession of Faith does not say, endorse a 
woman as a lay evangelist. (We quote Conf . 
of Faith, page 83, sec. 9-14 under Constitu- 
tion): 

"MINISTERS OF THE WORD. 

"9. The office of the ministry is the first in the 
Church, both for dignity and usefulness. The 
person who fills it has, in the Scriptures, differ- 
ent titles, expressive of his various duties. As 
he has the oversight of the flock of Christ, he 
is termed bishop ; as he feeds them with spir- 
itual food, he is termed pastor; as he serves 
Christ in his Church, he is termed minister; as 
it is his duty to be grave and prudent, and an 
example to the flock, and to govern well in 
the house and kingdom of Christ, he is termed 
presbyter or elder ; as he is the messenger of 



32 Sfiall Woman Preach ? 

God, he is termed angel of the Church; as he 
is sent to declare the will of God to sinners, 
and to beseech them to be reconciled to God 
through Christ, he is termed ambassador; as 
he bears the glad tidings of salvation from 
place to place, without having his labors con- 
fined to any particular church or locality, he is 
termed evangelist; as he stands to proclaim 
the gospel, he is termed preacher; as he ex- 
pounds the word, and by sound doctrine both 
exhorts and convinces, he is termed teacher; 
and as he dispenses the manifold grace of God, 
and the ordinances instituted by Christ, he is 
termed steward of the mysteries of God. 
These titles do not indicate different grades of 
office, but all describe one and the same office, 

"10. He that fills this office should possess a 
competency of human learning, and be blame- 
less in life, sound in the faith, and apt to 
teach ; he should exhibit sobriety and holiness 
of conversation becoming the gospel; he 
should rule his own house well, and should 
have a good report of those who are without. 

"11. As the Lord has given different gifts to 
the ministers of the Word, and has committed 
to them various works to execute, the Church 
is authorized to call and appoint them to labor 
as pastors, teachers, and evangelists, and in 



Or the Question Answered. 33 

such other work as may be needful to the 
Church, according to the gifts in which they 
excel. 

"12. When a minister is called to take 
charge of a particular church, it belongs to his 
office to pray for and with his flock, as the 
mouth of the people unto God; to feed the 
flock by reading, expounding, and preaching 
the Word; to direct the people in singing the 
praises of God; to administer the sacraments; 
to bless the people from God; to catechise the 
children and youth; to encourage Sabbath- 
school work; to visit officially the people, de- 
voting especial attention to the poor, the sick, 
the afflicted, and the dying; and, with the 
ruling elders, to exercise the power of govern- 
ment. 

"13. When a minister is appointed to be a 
teacher in a school of divinity, or to give in- 
structions in the doctrines and duties of relig- 
ion to youth assembled in a college or univer- 
sity, it appertains to his office to take a 
pastoral oversight of those committed to his 
charge, and be diligent in sowing the seed of 
the Word, and gathering the fruit thereof, as 
one who watches for souls. 

"14. When a minister is appointed to the 
work of an evangelist, he is commissioned to 
3 



34 Shall Woman Preach ? 

preach the Word, administer the sacraments, 
organize particular churches in foreign coun- 
tries, frontier settlements, or in the destitute 
parts of the Church, and to establish Sabbath- 
schools, as wisdom may direct." 

According to Dr. Buck, an evangelist is 
clothed with official authority. 

9. Again, others say woman may preach, 
but she ought not to be ordained, for fear- the 
Church may get some worthless women, and 
some may come in with impure motives. They 
will even say, We cannot say anything against the 
action of the Nolin Presbytery, and then add, 
We might get a bad one next time, or one 
that could not do any good : so we would bet- 
ter stop at this. Well, then, if that is our 
charter, and we are going to act accordingly, 
the Church, the ministry, and all will soon die, 
and the sooner the better. If we are governed 
according to this principle, on the same ground 
we must not license and ordain any more men : 
for if we do, we will be sure to get some vile 
men with impure motives. Also, we must 
close and bar the doors of our churches : for 
if we fail to do this, we will certainly be 
troubled by some bad members. 

10. Yet others object because they say the 
babies and the little children get sick some- 



Or the Question Answered, 35 

times, and that would hinder woman as a 
preacher. Just as though men's children nev- 
er get sick, and they are never hindered in that 
respect. And along the same line, others 
protest on account of child-bearing and nurs- 
ing, saying that if it were common to ordain 
women, they would be sometimes elected to 
attend church courts, and could not, for the 
above-named reason. We cannot say but it 
might sometimes so happen, and the women 
would have to stay at home ; but that would 
be nothing new — it would only be one repre- 
sentative out. Men have stayed at home time 
and again for the very same reason — afraid to 
leave their wives even long enough to attend 
the presbyterial meetings. 

11. Some others say, If women are ordain- 
ed they will necessarily have to travel alone, 
and in so doing, they will be exposed and dis- 
graced; they will not be looked upon as being 
respectable. So, brethren, we cannot under- 
stand this. We must confess that we are puz- 
zled, and at a loss to know how it is then that 
the women of our missionary societies, and our 
Sunday-school conventions, and temperance 
associations, are not disgraced. How is it that 
the good women that have crossed the broad 
waters, and have toiled so faithfully and 



36 Shall Woman Preach? 

labored so bravely, still maintain their respect- 
ability? We can see no difference in the dan- 
gers to which these women are all exposed. 
The difference is in their engagements. If we 
are unwilling that our women be exposed by 
traveling alone, and by speaking in public, we 
must dissolve our missionary societies, and call 
our women home from the foreign field. But 
our objectors say, We cannot do that, because 
that would stop our work among the heathen, 
that would be a hinderance to the cause of 
Christ : for men have not access to the women 
of heathen lands. And, like David, we will put 
the women in the front of the battle, and 
when the war is over, and the victory is won, 
and the heathen, through the influence of 
these women, are civilized and christianized; 
then we men will go over there and tell them, 
"It is a shame for women to speak in the 
church:" we will organize a church, and bap- 
tize those converts made through the instru- 
mentality of women. 

The commission is, "Go ye, therefore, and 
teach [or disciple] all nations." These wom- 
en are doubtless teaching (discipling) these 
heathen to the best of their ability. The truth 
is, that human nature is the same everywhere. 
The plan of salvation never changes. If 



Or the Question Answered, 37 

woman has a right to teach (disciple) the 
heathen, she has a right to teach at home. 
And if she has a right to teach (preach, dis- 
ciple), she has a right to recognition. The 
Church, in ordaining men, simply recognizes 
what she believes God has done. Hence, she 
inquires into their union with Christ, and into 
the dealings of God with them. If they give 
satifactory evidence of being called to the 
ministry, and of an aptness to teach, she lays 
hands on them and ordains them. Any man, 
after showing himself competent to the work 
of the ministry — not because the Church be- 
lieves he is called of God, or because of his 
aptness to teach — is ordained; but because he 
supports a mustache, or w T ears men's clothing. 
The women are coming with the very same 
story, and knocking at the doors of the vari- 
ous denominations for admittance. They say, 
this subject is a flame in our hearts, and a fire 
is kindled in our bones. But a voice from 
within says, Depart, I know you not, ye poor, 
cursed women. You can't get in here, because 
your hair is long, and your features are fine. 
You are not masculine enough. 

12. Well, you say, I don't believe that God 
calls women to preach. When men of the 
ministry take this position, they place them- 



38 /Shall Woman Preach ? 

selves right by the side of those who say, None 
are called to preach; and they must take sides 
with those who deny the operation of the Holy 
Spirit, even in renewing and regenerating the 
heart. This is something that we cannot prove 
by mortal man; but one thing we know, "that 
the gifts and calling of God are without re- 
pentance/' "Whatsoever God doeth, it shall 
be forever: nothing can be put to it, nor any- 
thing taken from it: and God doeth it that 
men should fear before him." 

When an opportunity is given by the Cum- 
berland Presbyterian Church for the reception 
of members, we say to the audience that we 
receive members by experience, by recom- 
mendation, and by letter. They come, men 
and women. The men give evidence of a 
change of heart, and are received. tt The wom- 
en give evidence of the same; they say, We 
know in whom we have believed, and His 
Spirit beareth witness with ours; and they are 
received. Why? Because the session believes 
what they say. On this ground the writer was 
received into the Macedonian congregation of 
the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Just 
so, your presbytery meets, and gives an op- 
portunity to those who wish to become candi- 
dates for the ministry, to come forward. They 



Or the Question Answered. 39 

come, men and women. The men tell how 
God has called them to the holy work of the 
gospel ministry, and that after a great struggle 
they have decided to go and preach the best 
they can. The presbytery receives them under 
her care. The women say, that they feel that 
they are called of God ( constrained ) to 
preach. The presbytery asks them, How do 
you know it? They say, Just as we know that 
our sins have been pardoned. Will you re- 
ceive us? On this very ground the w T riter was 
received as a candidate for the ministry under 
the care of the Nolin Presbytery. But the ob- 
jector comes up and says, You did wrong: God 
does not call women to preach. 

Now, if women are worthy of confidence at 
all, it does seem that they are just as worthy 
of it in the one case as in the other. And if 
she can be believed in the former, why not in 
the latter? If she cannot be trusted in the 
one, why in the other? So far as the writer is 
concerned, she would just as soon have those 
objectors tell her that she is mistaken — her 
sins have not been pardoned, and that she 
knows nothing about being born again. And 
they could just as easily take the Bible, and 
prove to her that she has no hope of heaven — 
no title to the inheritance of the saints in 



40 Shall Woman Preach f 

light — as they could convince or prove to her, 
that the Spirit had not said unto her, "Go 
thou and preach the kingdom of God." When 
she must doubt one, she will certainly give up 
the other. 

To complete the picture, let us examine 
some parables of the great Teacher: 

"The kingdom of heaven is like unto a net,, 
that was cast iuto the sea, and gathered of 
every kind: which, when it was full, they 
drew to the shore, and sat down, and gathered 
the good into vessels, but cast the bad away." 
—Matt. 13: 47, 48. Then we have the moral, 
" So shall it be at the end of the world." We 
all certainly recognize this picture, and agree 
that the net is the gospel net: the sea is the 
world ; the good are the righteous ; the bad are 
the unrighteous; the shore is the shore of 
eternity. In the end, the good (the wheat), 
or the righteous, shall be safely housed in 
heaven; while the bad (the tares), or the un- 
righteous, shall be burned with fire. Again, 
" The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of 
mustard seed, which a man [not a woman] 
took, and sowed in his field." When this gos- 
pel net is used by men, or when the gospel is 
preached by men, it is like the seed planted in 
the field, "which, indeed, is the least of all 



Or the Question Answered. 41 

seed: but when it is grown, it is the greatest 
among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the 
birds of the air come and lodge in the branches 
thereof/'— Matt, 13: 31, 32. We do not won- 
der that Christ said, "Fear not; thou 

shalt catch men." Then, "as a nail in a sure 
place, fastened by the master of assemblies," 
he said, " The kingdom of heaven is like unto 
leaven, which a woman [not a man] took, and 
hid in three measures of meal, till the whole 
was leavened." — Matt. 13: 33. Then,the gos- 
pel net in the hands of women, as preachers of 
the gospel of the kingdom, is to have the 
effect of leaven upon those that hear and be- 
lieve their word. " Purge out, therefore, the 
old leaven, that ye may be a new lump." So 
we are no more twain, but one. "What, 
therefore, God hath joined together, let not 
man put asunder." " If this work be of men 
it will come to naught; but if it be of God, 
ye cannot overthrow it." Then let us beware 
lest we be found to fight against God. 

13. But, after all this, another objector 
comes along, and says that a woman is not 
strong enough ; her general make-up forbids it; 
she is too weak physically and intellectually. 
Well, then, the Bible is on her side; for "God 
hath chosen the weak things of the world to 



42 Shall Woman Preach? 

confound the things which are mighty." The 
potter hath the power over the clay. It is a 
fact that this country has over eighty thousand 
ministers, and the majority of them came from 
poor, illiterate, and uncultivated families. 
"Not many wise men after the flesh, not many 
mighty, not many noble, are called." These 
all have to learn that it is, "Not by might nor 
by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord." 
Concerning her intellect, she has so far proved 
herself adequate to everything she has yet 
undertaken. Then we are instructed if we lack 
wisdom to ask of God. 

14. But say these doubting Thomases, We 
cannot believe that woman ought to preach 
and be ordained, because God said, "Thy de- 
sire shall be unto thy husband, and he shall 
rule over thee," and Paul advised that "The 
younger women marry, bear children, guide 
the house, give none occasion to the adversary 
to speak reproachfully." — I. Tim. 5: 14. They 
will say that this is her God-given place in the 
world and in the Church. This ought not to 
hinder those who feel that they are called of 
God to preach his gospel, and it is no reason 
why the Church should interfere. If w T e must 
take this scripture literally, then, Is the Church 
not under obligation to see to it that every man 



Or the Question Answered. 43 

earns his bread by the sweat of his face? They 
forget that even in that sorrowful time the 
promise of deliverance was given to the 
woman. All men are not called to preach, 
neither are all women. The apostle under- 
stood this, and that they might be left without 
excuse, he gave instructions to all. If w r e are 
going to follow the instructions of Paul liter- 
ally, then we w r ill have a Sunday-school for 
men only, and bass singers only in our choirs, 
and we'll greet all the brethren w r ith "an holy 
kiss," while the women stay at home to guide 
the house. 

Paul says, "Art thou loosed from a wife? 
seek not a wife." — I. Cor. 7: 27. We wonder 
if all our objectors w T ill insist on the literal 
rendering of this passage. We dare say some 
of them would go to "the jumping-off place," 
before they would agree to this. It is evident 
that some have been scratching their tickets, 
and taking therefrom what did not suit their 
pet theories. In the same way, we can show 
from the Bible that there is no God, but after 
so doing, we would have only what is in the 
fool's heart. If the men are not to marry, 
each sex will live independent of the other. 
The men will run their own affairs, and the 
women theirs. Neither is to give assistance 



44 Shall Woman Preach? 

to the other. So we would have two machines 
running instead of one. Being separated 
from the women, the men would be in a 
dreadful dilemma, and would have no Savior. 
"But when the fullness of the time was come, 
God sent forth his Son, made of a woman 
[not of a man], made under the law, to 
redeem them that were under the law, that 
we might receive the adoption of sons" — 
Gal. 4:4, 5. "There appeared a great wonder 
in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and 
the moon under her feet, and upon her head a 
crown of twelve stars ; and she being with 
child cried, travailing in birth." — Rev. 12: 1, 
2. "And she brought forth her first-born son, 
and wrapped him m swaddling clothes, and 
laid him in a manger." — Luke 2:7. Now, 
through the woman the men can say with us, 
"Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is 
given." 

Strange, but true, the conception of Christ 
was first made known to a woman: his com- 
ing, or incarnation, was told to a woman: to a 
woman he first revealed the fact (and she was 
a poor cast-down woman), that " God is a 
Spirit; and they that worship him must wor- 
ship in spirit and in truth." A woman was 
last at the cross, and first at the tomb. It was 



Or the Question Answered. 45 

to the women he first appeared, and they were 
the first to hear his words after his passion. 
They were the first commissioned by their 
Lord to preach a risen Christ. But if it be true 
that women are to stay at home and guide the 
house, and this is her God-given place in the 
Church and in the world, then her position is 
the same in both. Then there are no priv- 
ileges granted to a woman in Christ above 
those granted to a woman of the world. Then 
it follows that woman's condition is not bet- 
tered by reason of her faith in Christ and her 
relation to him. How then is a woman 
profited by the coming of Christ, or by the 
preaching of the gospel? 

15. Others object because the Bible speaks 
of women who were false prophets, and who 
did a great deal of harm. Indeed it does seem 
that the objectors have been driven to despair, 
and like a drowning man, they have caught at 
a straw, or something that can give no assist- 
ance. There cannot be a counterfeit without 
the existence of the genuine. 

16. Again, the objector will say, We ought 
to obey strictly the commands of Christ, and 
we should go so far, and no farther. They 
say that he did not command women to preach; 
therefore they have no such right. In so many 



46 Shall Woman Preach 9 

words, He did not: for there is no specific 
command to this effect. Neither did he com- 
mand us to keep Sunday instead of Saturday 
for the Sabbath : but we do this without any 
specific command. This change was man's 
work, not God's. Though there is no com- 
mand for the ordination of women, their la- 
bors in the ministry have been abundantly 
blessed of God. He sanctions their work, and 
the Church is not above her Lord. Can she 
not afford to do as much?. 

Many other objections might be mentioned, 
but we deem it unnecessary. All who take the 
negative of this question, finally take refuge 
in their strongholds, "Let your women keep 
silence in the churches," and " I suffer not a 
woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over 
the man." All of these allow women to speak 
on financial questions — and that, too, publicly 
in the church, if they think more money will 
be the result. If she succeeds in getting a 
good collection, they commend her highly, and 
just so long as she can get a dollar, she is wel- 
come to the floor. Why this thusness? Who 
will explain? 



WOMAN. 

— — 

One rosy morn that opened earth's primal year, 

God sat upon His throne of golden rays ; 
He viewed His realm of thronging silver spheres, 

And heard them hymning their Creator's praise. 
The new-born world w r as floating 'neath His throne, 

Endowed with all His fullness — Eden blessed ; 
His noblest work the scepter swayed alone, 

Man formed of God, His image self-expressed. 

It was all " good." Infinity was filled 

All glorious, around, beneath, above; 
A universe the Master Workman willed 

And wrought of wisdom, beauty, grace, and love. 
Where w r ould a hue adorn the lily's bloom? 

What melody the wild bird's song amend? 
What aroma enhance the flower's perfume ? 

What other good now with earth's fullness blend? 

Yet God resolved to better what was good, 

And touch perfection w r ith a grace supreme, 
So crowned creation with fair womanhood, 

Gave her to earth to bless it and redeem. 
Last from His hand, transcendiug all He gave, 

God's love and goodness in earth's beauty dressed 
Last near His cross, the first to find His grave ; 

Mother, man's first love — wife, his last and best. 

—[LuB. Clark. 



47 



WOMAN IN THE GARDEN. 

o 

"And the Lord God said. It is not good that 
the man should be alone."— Gen. 2: 18. 

Now let us candidly ask, why not? and 
whether there be any limit to this statement, 
as some would have us believe; and if there is, 
who will have the boldness to draw the line? 
Is it possible that in one vocation of life it is 
not good for man to be alone, and in another 
it is? Then, "Who by searching can find out 
God," and say whether it is better to be with- 
out woman in the physical or spiritual point of 
view? Is it here taught that it is not good for 
man to be alone, from the fact that woman is 
needed at home to administer to the temporal 
wants of her household, while the man admin- 
isters to the spiritual wants of others? These 
are grave questions, and they lie at the root of 
the matter. "I know that whatsoever God 
doeth, it shall be forever: nothing can be put 
to it, nor anything taken from it: and God 
doeth it, that men should fear before him." — 
Ecc. 3: 14. 

We learn that "God created the heaven and 

the earth," and "all things therein," and 

48 



Shall Woman Preach? 49 

when his work was finished, he said, "it was 
very good." This work included the creation 
of man. God, the maker of our bodies and 
the Father of our spirits, designed the happi- 
piness of man from the beginning, and crea- 
ted him in his own image. He placed him the 
garden, and as a test of his obedience, said 
unto him, "Of every tree of the garden thou 
mayest freely eat : but of the tree of the knowl- 
edge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of 
it."— Gen. 2:16, 17. The penalty annexed 
for violation of this command was death — the 
strongest motive possible to secure man's 
obedience. 

Soon after the giving of the law, "God said, 
it is not good for the man to be alone ;" and 
he caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, 
and proceeded to take one of 'his ribs and 
make woman. We are here taught a very im- 
portant lesson; for this is God who "spake 
and it was done; he commanded and it stood 
fast." He by his power could have spoken 
the woman into existence, but in his wisdom 
he designed to show us the relation the one 
sustains to the other, and that each should 
share alike the responsibilities of life. Mark, 
will you, there were not two laws given, neith- 
er were there two promises made. The law 
4 



50 8 hall Woman Preach ? 

was given before the formation of the wom- 
an and never repeated; yet the woman un- 
derstood that while they kept that law she 
with her husband was happy in holding com- 
munion with God. — Gen. 3: 1-3. She, as well 
as he, was held responsible for partaking of 
the forbidden fruit; for we learn that the eyes 
of both of them were opened, and when they 
knew what they had done they hid themselves 
from the presence of the Lord. — Gen. 3:7, 8. 
Shame covers their faces; anguish fills their 
hearts; justice cries for their blood; a cloud 
of darkness, like that of death, overspreads 
the sky: man is doomed to die. 

" I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and 
heard behind me a great voice, as of a trum- 
pet, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first 
and the last: and what thou seest write in a 
book." — Rev. 1:10, 11. "And there appeared 
a great wonder in heaven ; a woman clothed 
with the sun, and the moon under her feet, 
and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: 
and she being great with child, cried, travail- 
ing in birth, and pained to be delivered." — 
Rev. 12: 1, 2. This is the fulfillment of the 
promise made to the woman in the garden of 
Eden: and "When the fullness of the time 
was come, God sent forth his Son made of a 



Or the Question Answered. 51 

woman, made under the law, to redeem them 
that were under the law, that we might receive 
the adoption of sons" (Gal. 4: 4, 5), through 
the seed of the woman wearing " the crown 
of twelve stars." The twelve stars point us 
to the fact that men and women under the pa- 
triarchal and apostolic dispensations were 
made one in Christ. 

Woman was given to man not as a slave, 
not as an inferior, not as a superior, but as an 
helpmeet. Nothing is said of man's having 
authority over the woman; neither is it said 
that the man should have dominion over the 
things of earth to the exclusion of the woman. 
To them (and not to him) did God say, "Be 
fruitful, and multiply and replenish the earth, 
and subdue it; and have dominion over the 
fish of the sea and over the fowls of the air, 
and over every living thing that moveth upon 
the earth." — Gen. 1:28. In this holy state 
God gave this happy pair the world as an in- 
heritance. Not a word is said of man's sphere 
and woman's sphere, neither of his authority 
and her subjection; so, without a doubt, they 
stood on equal footing under the law. "And 
the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon 
Adam, and he slept; and he took one of his 
ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof." 



52 Shall Woman Preach? 

Of this rib he made a woman. God certainly 
made no mistake here. If he intended for 
woman to be man's inferior, we think it reas- 
onable to suppose he would have taken a bone 
out of man's foot, instead of taking a rib from 
near his heart. Then all would have under- 
stood that she was inferior to man. And had 
God designed she should be man's superior, 
possibly he would have taken a bone above his 
heart, perhaps from his head. This of itself 
would have been a declaration of her superior- 
ity. But she was made of man's rib, and 
coming from near his heart, is his equal, and 
his helpmeet. 

We will consider woman as a helpmeet in 
presenting the world with the Star of Hope, 
the Sun of Righteousness, the Babe of Beth- 
lehem, the Man of Sorrows, the King of Kings, 
the Wonderf ul Counsellor, the Mighty God, 
the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. 
Woman, it is readily seen, is an important 
factor in the beginning and completion of 
the world's redemption, and of the final glori- 
fication of any soul. The last victory gained, 
as well as the first, shall be through the seed 
of the woman, which is to bruise the serpent's 
head. But shall we here draw the line and 
say she shall proceed no further? 



Or the Question Answered, 53 

God has ever honored the fair sex. The 
name of Mary has become immortal by reason 
of the saying, "The Holy Ghost shall come 
upon thee, and the power of the highest shall 
overshadow thee: therefore also that holy 
thing which shall be born of thee shall be 
called the Son of God."— Luke 1 : 35. Truly 
she was a helpmeet in presenting the world 
with an infant Savior, through the only source 
from w T hich deliverance could come. She was 
worthy of giving birth to the Savior, but not 
worthy to proclaim his salvation, as some 
would have us believe. 

Some say there was a change after the 
fall, and this we also believe. Then it was 
said the man should rule over the woman 
(Gen. 3: 16), but is it not just as true that 
through the seed of the woman both the man 
and the woman gain w T hat was lost? Are they 
not by faith restored and made one in Christ? 
Is not mankind by grace raised up to the 
standard of perfection laid down in the law? 
Man, having become a fallen being, would ac- 
cording to his own evil nature rule over his 
wife, although she still loved him. This we 
know from observation. How often is it the 
case, that man in a state of nature, in his sins 
and away from God, is very brutal in his treat- 



54 Shall Woman Preach ? 

merit toward his wife ! Often nothing but the 
laws of our commonwealth restrain him. But 
when he is "born of God," and made a par- 
taker of his divine nature, then there is a 
change brought about; he respects and honors 
his wife, knowing that in Christ there is 
neither "male nor female." To test the truth 
of this statement, let us contrast Pagan and 
Christian womanhood. Woman's position 
to-day in society is very different from what it 
was in former ages. This is admitted by all. 
The change in the last century, or even in the 
last fifty years, is very marked. Is this change 
for the better, or for the worse? This is an 
important question. 

The women of to-day are preparing them- 
selves for almost every vocation : you find 
them at the counter, in the clerk's office, in the 
school-room, in the post-office, in the practice 
of medicine and law, among poets and in- 
ventors; and in some parts of the United 
States they are holding civil office. Also we 
find some of them among editors and preach- 
ers. All this means something. This is an 
age of improvement, and this is certainly an 
indication of something greater to follow. 
But is it for the best that w5man come to the 
front and take her stand for God and truth; 



Or the Question Ansivered. 55 

or will it impede the progress of the cause of 
Christ? Is it right for woman to preach? 
This question is agitating the religious public 
to-day, and must be settled one way or the 
other. The number of women in the ministry 
has been doubled and trebled in the last few 
years. According to the best statistics there 
are now in the United States nearly eight 
hundred lady preachers, and this does not in- 
clude the Sunday-school workers and the 
women of various branches of the missionary 
cause. Are these women out of their places? 
are they making the world worse? are they 
forbidden by the Bible to preach? If so, then 
they ought to be prohibited by the Church 
from preaching. They should not have the 
sympathy of the Christian world, neither 
should they be acknowledged as ministers, nor 
allowed to occupy the pulpit. But if the 
Scriptures sanction woman's preaching, she 
has a right to ordination, and to the same 
assistance and recognition as men. 

The opinion of men is not what we want 
now. They have not settled, and can not set- 
tle this question. But we want a "Thus saith 
the Lord," as it is given us in the book of in- 
spiration ; and this we must obey. No one can 
gainsay this. Woman was the agent through 



56 Shall Woman Preach? 

whom Satan brought sin and death into the 
world, but God told her that she should be the 
agent through whom he would work to sin's 
destruction, and to the abolition of death. 
That is, from her seed should come the De- 
liverer, who should bring redemption and 
deliverance from death. Still, in consequence 
of sin, and in her fallen condition, she should 
be subject to lordship and cruelty. She had 
the promise through her seed (that is Christ) 
that she should, under the gospel of Christ, 
be restored to her original condition. She 
and her husband were to enjoy the same priv- 
ileges; she should be subject to her husband 
in the same sense in which the Church is sub- 
ject to Christ. "Therefore shall a nlan leave 
his father and mother and cleave unto his wife 
and they twain shall be one flesh." — Gen. 2: 
24. And if one, then there can be but one law 
by which they are to be governed. "But I 
would have you know, that the head of every 
man is Christ; and the head of the woman is 
the man: and the head of Christ is God." — - 
I. Cor. 11 : 3. Therefore, as the Church is 
subject unto Christ, so let the wives be in sub- 
jection to their own husbands in everything. 
The union between the man and the woman 
being of the same nature as that between the 



Or the Question Answered, 57 

Church and Christ, she is to render obedience 
to her husband just as the Church is obedient 
to Christ, and the husbands are to love their 
wives, as Christ also loves the Church. From 
this we understand that, as Christ rules or 
watches over the Church in love, so the hus- 
band is to rule or watch over the woman in 
love; and as the Church is in love obedient to 
Christ, so the woman in love should be 
obedient to her husband. ' 'Likewise, ye wives, 
be in subjection to your own husbands." 
"Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them ac- 
cording to knowledge, giving honor unto the 
the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, as being 
heirs together of life ; that your prayers be not 
hindered." — I. Pet. 3:7. It is manifest that 
God intended the two should have the same 
care the one for the other, and the dominion 
of the man over the woman, he being the head 
of the family, was to be of such a nature, as to 
give honor to the woman, as being the 
"weaker vessel," not as the weaker person. 
Now a vessel is that which contains something. 
Woman is physically, not mentally or spiritu- 
ally, weak. Seeing that we are heirs together 
of life, "we have this treasure in earthen ves- 
sels." Then, lest "our prayers be hindered," 
let the man and the woman stand side by side, 



58 Shall Woman Preach? 

shoulder to shoulder, in defense of the cause 
of Christ. It necessarily follows, if they are 
heirs together of the grace of life, that each 
has a share (an equal share) in all that per- 
tains to salvation through Christ; for the 
woman was created in the image of God just 
as w r as the man. And if she gains anything in 
Christ she gains equally as much as the man. 
God created them in his own image, "male and 
female created he them ; and blessed them and 
called their name Adam" (Gen. 5:2); but 
Adam called his wife's name Eve (Gen. 3: 20). 
They were pronounced good; there was noth- 
ing wanting. The divine law was their guide, 
and having rebelled they were sent out of the 
garden, and a flaming sword which turned 
every way and kept the way of the tree of life 
was placed at the gate. Through Christ the 
sword is turned aside, the door is open; and 
they entering by faith are made partakers of his 
divine nature, and are one in him, and together 
they are to conquer the foe and to trample 
Satan under their feet. This view is plain, 
straightforward and tenable, and as we shall 
see further is the only one that will not cause 
the Bible to contradict itself. 

So we will notice carefully these oft-repeated 
and misapplied passages of scripture; remenx- 



Or the Question Answered. 59 

bering that a truth uttered once, remains a 
truth forever. In order to get a clear knowl- 
edge of the seeming prohibitions and re- 
strictions, as are left upon record by Paul, and 
of the privileges and rights allowed women, 
we must bear in mind that the obedience 
rendered was to be to her husband ("he shall 
rule over thee"). "But I suffer not a woman 
to teach, but to be in silence." [Reason for — ] 
"For Adam was first formed, then Eve." To 
a soul earnestly seeking the truth, this scrip- 
ture is not hard of comprehension. Yet these 
passages are relied on above all others to 
prove that women ought not to preach or 
speak in public. The phrase here, "your 
women," of course, has reference only to 
the married women ; and learners and teachers 
are two different things. It is evident that 
they were not then trying to instruct by preach- 
ing, but rather trying to learn by asking ques- 
tions, and of course it was not a suitable time 
to ask questions. The apostle did not say if 
you would teach or preach, to teach or preach 
to their husbands at home; but if they (the 
women) would learn anything, let them ask 
their husbands at home. The idea that they 
were teaching cannot be entertained for a 
moment by any one who studies the language 



60 Sltall Woman Preach ? 

of the apostle. Are learners, teachers? does 
' 'learn anything," mean teach anything? or is 
it wrong only for those who have husbands to 
speak in the church? if so, I hope our young 
women will take warning. Paul said nothing 
to hinder the unmarried from speaking in the 
church. Is it possible that marriage dis- 
qualifies a woman for her religious duties? 
"And no man taketh this honor unto himself, 
but he that is called of God, as was Aaron." 

We come now to consider the second link in 
the chain, that is God's dealings with the 
human family, remembering that "There is no 
respect of persons with God," and that we 
are his battle-ax and that he designs through 
human instrumentality to save the perishing of 
earth. It is said the gift of God is eternal 
life. The Holy Spirit, too, is a gift — "How 
much more will he give the Holy Spirit to 
them that ask him." And he gives to us the 
Spirit without measure; but it must be re- 
membered that the gift of the Spirit is one 
thing, and the gifts of the Spirit is another, 
and quite a different thing. We may have the 
Spirit, but not have the gifts of the Spirit. 
We may be gifted in that we have all the ad- 
vantages that wealth and education can give, 
and yet fail, because we are not gifted of God, 



Or the Question Ansivered. 61 

We are admonished to "try the spirits 
whether they be of God," and we believe that 
the women are as capable of doing this as the 
men; hence their accountability. Are they 
not as capable of receiving the impressions of 
the Holy Spirit upon their minds and hearts as 
the men? For this reason we are not willing 
to attribute all their manifestations of joy to the 
emotions of nature, and their desires to engage 
in the cause of Christ to a delusion of the 
Devil; since " every good gift and every per- 
fect gift is from above." Who art thou, O 
man, that judgest? Doest thou not the same 
things? Hast thou, O man, all the embodi- 
ment of spiritual wisdom? Can not a woman 
as well as a man learn that " that the fear of 
the Lord is the beginning of wisdom?" Ttie 
Lord grant us understanding. 

"Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I 
would not have you ignorant." "Now there 
are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit." 
"But the manifestation of the Spirit is given 
to every man to profit withal. For to one is 
given by the Spirit the word of wisdom, to 
another the word of knowledge by the same 
Spirit."— I. Cor. 12: 1, 4, 18. So we see the 
gifts of the Spirit are many. But all these 
worketh that one and self -same Spirit, dividing 



62 Shall Woman Preach 9 

to every man severally as he will." "For by 
one Spirit we are all baptized into Christ's 
body ...... and we are all made to drink 

into one Spirit." "For as many of you as 
have been baptized into Christ have put on 
Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there 
is neither bond nor free, there is neither male 
nor female: for ye are all one in Christ." 

God bestows gifts without respect to sex. 
The body is one and hath many members, 
"and all members have not the same office." 
"But now hath God set the members, every 
one of them, in the body, as it hath pleased 
him;" and who will dare say unto him, What 
doest thou? God never intended that there 
should be any schism in the body, but that the 
members should have the same care the one 
for another, and he never intended that one 
sex should lord it over the other. "And God 
hath set some in the Church, first apostles, 
secondly prophets, thirdly teachers." There 
are gifts many; but have all the same gifts? 
Paul's instructions to the Corinthian Church 
was, "Covet earnestly the best gifts," and 
there is nothing said against women's desiring 
or coveting these gifts. If God bestows them, 
has she not a right to improve them? Who 
will say she shall bury her talent (gift)? 



Or the Question Answered. 63 

"Forasmuch then as ye are zealous of spir- 
ual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edify- 
ing of the Church." God seeks in bestowing 
these gifts the edification of the Church, and 
that women have received the gifts of the 
Spirit can be established without a doubt: 
then hear what these have to say. 

On the day of Pentecost, when all with one 
accord were in one place, they heard as it were 
the sound of a rushing, mighty wind, and they 
were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they 
received the gift of tongues, "and they began 
to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave 
them [men and women] utterance." The 
number of them was about a hundred and 
twenty, and there were women among them 
without a doubt. It will be remembered that 
there is nothing said of the men that is not 
said of the women. "And when they were 
come in, they went up into an upper room, 
where abode both Peter, and James, and John, 
and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Barthol- 
omew, and Matthew, James the son of Al- 
pheus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the 
brother of James. These all continued with 
one accord in prayer and supplication, with 
the women." — Acts 1: 13, 14. They w T ere all 
certainly engaged in the use of the same 



64 Shall Woman Preach? 

means, and it is nothing more than reasonable 
to suppose that they shared alike the blessing, 
when it came. That the women took part in 
the public services of that day is evident from 
the language of Peter. When being reminded 
of the prophecy of Joel, he said, "And it shall 
come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will 
pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh, and your 
sons and your daughters shall prophesy 
[preach]." And we certify you that this gos- 
pel which they preached, was not after man; 
for they did not receive it of man, it came 
from above: they received it by the revela- 
tion of Jesus Christ. They did not confer 
with flesh and blood, but spake the Word with 
power. And just so all who have been truly 
regenerated and have received a gift to preach 
(prophesy), whether Greek or Jew, male or 
female, are truly commissioned as God's min- 
isters. No others are fit for such service, 
though they may have complied with all the 
instructions of some ecclesiastical body and 
even by them been set apart. 

If God pours out his Spirit upon the women, 
and says they shall prophesy (preach), who 
will dare say they shall not? Shall we not 
obey God rather than man? But if women 
fail to preach, what, then, becomes of Joel's 



Or the Question Ansivered. 65 

prophecy? Can it ever be fulfilled? Of what 
authority is his prophecy? And, if this 
prophecy is never to be fulfilled, then Ave will 
have to drop this book from the sacred canon. 
But if it is to be fulfilled, then God sanctions 
women preaching. We understand that what- 
ever prophesying means in men, it means in 
women. 

It does seem strange that if women are 
not to preach that the apostle should give 
directions how godly women should dress when 
they did pray and prophesy in the church, and 
strange, indeed, that he should tell them in 
the very same letter that they were to keep 
silence in the church. He also tells the men 
how they are to dress, when they appear in 
public to pray or prophesy. Shall we not 
rather conclude that there is no contradiction 
in Paul's writings, but that some have applied 
to preaching what really points to the law. 
We must reconcile the Bible with itself, else 
it is no worth to us. We conclude that the 
men and women began the work of evangel- 
izing the world, at Jerusalem, on the day of 
Pentecost, both being endued with power 
from on high, according to the great com- 
mission. Under the sanction of Jesus Christ 
and the Holy Ghost, they went everywhere 
5 



66 Shall Woman Preach $ 

preaching the Word, being accompanied with 
signs and wonders. 

If the women did not preach, why were they 
persecuted and committed to prison? "As for 
Saul he made havoc of the Church, entering 
into every house, and, haling men and women, 
committed them to prison." — Acts 8:3. It 
must have been very common, then, for women 
to preach; so much so, that "Saul, yet breath- 
ing out threatenings and slaughter against the 
disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest 
and desired of hiui letters to Damascus to the 
synagogues, that if he found any of this way, 
whether they w r ere men or women, he might 
bring them bound to Jerusalem." — Acts 9: 
1, 2. So he went with the authority to take 
the women as well as the men; and Paul said, 
after his conversion, "And I persecuted this 
way unto the death, binding and delivering 
into prisons both men and women. As also 
the high priest doth bear me witness, and all 
the estate of the elders; from whom also I re- 
ceived letters unto the brethren, and went 
unto Damascus, to bring them which were 
there bound, unto Jerusalem for to be pun- 
ished."— Acts 22:4, 5. We all believe that 
these men were persecuted, bound and im- 
prisoned because of their zeal for Christ, and 



Or the Question Answered. 67 

for their fidelity to his cause; and because 
they ceased not to preach and to teach in his 
name. Have we not the same reason to be- 
lieve that these women were evil entreated and 
imprisoned for the same cause? They (as in 
case of the men) were captured in the syn- 
agogues and led to prison and compelled to blas- 
pheme; and they w r ere persecuted even unto 
strange cities." — Acts 26:10, 11. Yet some 
would have us believe that woman suffered 
these things because- of her silence, but the 
Scriptures do not teach us that the silent ones 
suffered. Those w 7 ho taught and preached in 
his name, whether men or women, were im- 
prisoned and put to death, Paul himself be- 
ing judge, and the high priest, elders and 
people being the witnesses. 

"Not she with trait'rous kiss her Master stung ; 
Not she denied Him with unfaithful tongue : 
She, when apostles fled, could danger brave ; 
Last at His cross, and earliest at His grave." 



"BEHOLD, I HAVE SET BEFORE 

THEE AN OPEN DOOR." 

Rev. 3 : 8. 
— o — 

Christ reveals himself to us as "the way, the 
truth, and the life," and as the door through 
which we are to enter heaven. "By me if any 
man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go 
in and out and find pasture." All who pass 
this way, or come in by Christ, are equal 
sharers in the privileges and blessings that 
have been purchased by him. Because of this 
open door the "Star of Hope" is shining; her 
rays of light are flashing along the world's 
pathway; we, too, "have seen his star in the 
east and are come to worship him." This is 
the most beautiful star that was ever set in the 
heavens; the most brilliant that has ever 
shone ; and it tells the most wonderful story 
ever heard. This star is composed of five 
points, whose rays all merge into one; they 
borrow their light from Him who sits upon 
the throne, even from Him whose birth it pro- 
claims. Shine on, O star! Thou didst once 
light the plains of Bethlehem. Shine on the 

68 



Shall Woman Preach? 69 

earth girdled with blood. Shine on the door 
that is open. Shine on the world redeemed to 
God. Shine on all the hearts of the children 
of men. Dark indeed must be the night, or 
the heart, which has not been penetrated by 
at least one of thy rays of light. In the person 
of Christ all thy beams center, and from him 
they will never cease to shine. God has left 
on record five beautiful characters, and each 
has an attribute of the "Sun of Righteous- 
ness." Their united rays make a star which 
shall shine on forever and ever. 

These five illustrious and noble women are 
so linked together that they shed their benign 
light upon the page of inspiration, and all 
point us to Christ "the light of the world." 
The brightness of their light is dazzling; we 
dare not look upon it as a whole; but rather 
upon one point or ray at a time. Oh! that our 
vision may be strengthened, and that we too, 
in the light which God giveth, may see his 
star clearly, and be moved with holy reverence 
to come and worship Him, to whom these five 
rays point. 

The first ray of light points backward to 
Jephthah's daughter and forward to Christ. 
In her case we are taught to respect the bind- 
ing force of a vow; and to submit to suffering 



70 Shall Woman Preach ? 

and death to preserve the sanctity of the same. 
(Judges 11 ch.) By the sacrifice of this noble 
and heroic woman, we are taught this lesson: 
"Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy 
vows unto the most High." Her father, Jeph- 
thah, was a resident of Mizpeh, in the moun- 
tains of Gilead, a warrior, and a man of de- 
cided personal character. Being called upon 
in the extremity of his country's trials to go at 
the head of its armies, and to resist the Am- 
monites, he prepared his household for the 
campaign, not knowing but it might cost him 
his life. Being a man of prayer, he committed 
himself to God. He laid himself and his all 
upon God's altar. "Jephthah uttered all his 
word before the Lord in Mizpeh," and being 
in a great strait he promised the Lord, if he 
would without fail give the children of Am- 
nion into his hand, then it should be that 
whatsoever came forth out of the doors of his 
house to meet him when he returned in peace 
from the battle, should be the Lord's, and it 
should be offered up as a burnt-offering. 

He went forth to the battle, having kissed 
his wife and only daughter good-bye. After 
many hard struggles, long days and lonely 
nights, the shout of victory went up from their 
midst. God had redeemed his people. In 



Or the Question Answered. 71 

* 
the morning the loving husband and father 
hastened home with the praise of a grateful 
nation upon his track. When he reached the 
hill that overlooked his dwelling he halted; 
for now the full purport of his vow stood out 
before him. The Lord had given him the vic- 
tory, and now that he was once more nearing 
his home he remembered his promise: "What- 
soever cometh forth of the doors of my house 
to meet me .... shall surely be the Lord's, 
and I will offer it up for a burnt-offering." A 
moment more and the door opened. Jephthah 
looked and his eyes met those of his daughter 
— the one in whose existence his life was bound 
up. The sacred narrative says, "His daughter 
came out to meet him with timbrels and with 
dances," as if rejoicing over the redemption 
of Israel. It was enough ; overcome with grief, 
Jephthah rent his' clothes, and in anguish of 
heart cried, "Alas, my daughter! thou hast 
brought me very low ; . . . . for I have opened 
my mouth unto the Lord and I cannot go 
back. ' ' His daughter then cast away her instru- 
ments of rejoicing; came forward in solemn- 
ity and answered: "My father, if thou hast 
opened thy mouth unto the Lord, do to me ac- 
cording to that which hath proceeded out of 
thy mouth." Here we see this grand woman 



72 Shall Woman Preach? 

offering herself freely, and dying to redeem 
her father's honor. With her face turned to- 
ward the heavens, she invited the fatal blow: 
it came ; the spirit of Adah mounted up to the 
heavens, upon which her last gaze was fixed. 
The deed was done, and the name of Jeph- 
thah's daughter will forever remain famous in 
the annals of Scripture. 

In the history of this heroic woman, who 
gave her life to vindicate her father's word, 
we have vividly brought before our minds the 
promised redemption through Christ. God 
said that the seed of the woman should bruise 
the serpent's head. In the fulfillment of this 
promise, "we see Jesus, who was made a little 
lower than the angels for the suffering of 
death." "He is the propitiation for our sins: 
and not for ours only, but also for the sins of 
the whole world." The sword which was the 
instrument of her death, reminds us that they 
came out against Christ with swords and with 
staves. He, too, invited' the fatal blow: it 
came; he passed out and now appears in the 
presence of the Father for us. We have a faith- 
ful high priest, one that is easily "touched with 
the feeling of our infirmities." 

Then, "like apples of gold in pictures of 
silver," we have set in this star the thrilling 



Or the Question Answered. 73 

story of Ruth, the Moabitess, who forsook 
home and parents, land and friends, through 
piety to God; esteeming the reproaches of 
Christ greater riches than all the treasures 
home and friends could give. The Moabites 
were an idolatrous people, but she married a 
man named Mahlon, formerly a citizen of 
Bethlehem, who at that time resided in the 
land of Moab. He was a God-fearing man, 
and by his pious example and earnest efforts, 
influenced his wife to accept the true religion. 
When he came to die, he admonished her to 
leave the dangerous company in which she 
would be thrown, and to go to Bethlehem 
where dwelt the people of God. Soon after 
his death she obeyed his injunctions; she for- 
sook home and friends, and journeyed in com- 
pany with her aged mother-in-law to Bethle- 
hem. It was the time of harvest, and she was 
so poor that she was compelled to go into the 
fields, and glean among the lowest classes for 
a support. Her strength was soon exhausted, 
for the labor was too great for her; so worn 
and weary, with only two little handf uls as 
the fruit of her day's work, she sought a place 
of rest. After a while Boaz (whom she ex- 
pected to order her away) approached and 
said, " Whose damsel is this? " She raised her 



74 Shall Woman Preach f 

hands, as if to show how little were her glean- 
ings, and that she had taken nothing from the 
sheaves, and placed them meekly on her breast. 
Thus showing a willingness to submit to any- 
thing she might be called upon to endure, she 
turned her eyes upward, as if appealing to God, 
for whom she had forsaken home, wealth, and 
friends. Alone in the world, she had none but 
God to look to for protection. This mute ap- 
peal was not lost on the kind heart of Boaz; 
he bade her eat and drink, and encouraged her 
in her work ; and in a short time after this she 
became his wife. She has became famous in 
the genealogy of our Lord; for she became the 
mother of Obed, the father of Jesse, the father 
of David, the father of Solomon. 

When we consider the poverty of this wom- 
an, we are reminded of Christ, who, "though 
he was rich, yet for your sakes he became 
poor, that ye through his poverty might be 
made rich." When we see her sheaf, we call 
to mind the promise, "He that goeth forth and 
weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless 
come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves 
withhim.-Psa.l26:6. (See Ruth 2, 3 chs.) Ruth 
left her home and went to Bethlehem ; Christ 
left heaven ajid came to Bethlehem. How ap- 
propriately the star hung over Bethlehem! 



Or the Question Answered. 75 

The third point in order, direcfts us to the 
story of queen Esther, who by going before the 
throne and making intercession for her people, 
saved them from their impending doom. (See 
Esther 3, 4, 5 chs). This heroine was a Jewish 
damsel of the tribe of Benjamin, and lived 
about five hundred years before the Christian 
era. Her parents being dead, Mordecai, her 
uncle, took care of her and brought her up 
as his own daughter. She was married in early 
life to king Ahasuerus. She was a very beau- 
tiful woman, and her virtues secured his love, 
and her wonderful genius his permanent ad- 
miration and respect. No woman has ever left 
behind her a better record of wisdom. As Sol- 
omon among men, so is Esther among women 
— the wisest of her sex. There was no prob- 
lem of state so intricate that she could not 
help to solve it. 

In time she became the king's confidante and 
shared with him in the greatness of his king- 
dom. This fact enabled her, in a season of 
peril, to save her nation from destruction. 
The enemies of the Jews being numerous and 
fierce against them, accused them falsely, and 
persuaded the king to utter an edict and to fix 
the day to have the race exterminated. This 
done, the chosen people of God were doomed 



76 Shall Woman Preach ? 

to die. When queen Esther heard of this she 
resolved at once to make an effort to save her 
people at the risk of her life. There was a 
law to put any to death, who would essay to 
go in unbidden before the king when he was 
on his throne. But he had promised Esther 
that whatsoever she would ask him should be 
given her to the half of his kingdom. She was 
resolved to test his sincerity at the risk of her 
own life, and appealed to him to reverse the 
horrible edict. As she passed through the hall 
the sentinels handed her a copy of the law and 
warned her of her danger, but unmoved she 
bade them stand aside. Pale, yet firm, she 
passed through the vestibule into the great 
council chamber. The scene was magnificent; 
the king was upon the throne of gold and 
ivory; the splendor of the apartment, the 
brightness of the lights; the gorgeous equip- 
age of his officers is rarely surpassed. Through 
the crowd of courtiers and the splendor of the 
apartment, the queen boldly passed, and in 
death-like silence pressed her way toward the 
throne, and fixed her eyes on the king, who, 
angry at the violation of the law, frowned 
sternly upon her. It was the crisis of her life, 
and fully realizing this fact she at once re- 
minded him of his pledge. Rising from her 



Or the Question Answered. 77 

humble position before the throne she saw the 
golden scepter bent toward her, whereupon she 
hastened to touch it. As the king took her by 
the hand and gave her a place on the throne 
beside him, he graciously said, "What wilt 
thou, queen Esther? and what is thy re- 
quest? it shall be even given to thee to the half 
of the kingdom." Whereupon she continued 
her intercession for her people, and achieved 
a great victory in saving them. 

We are reminded in the history of this wo- 
man of the fact that when justice cried for 
our blood, and the law had said, "The soul 
that sinneth it shall die," that mercy came in 
disguise and spread for us His bleeding hands. 
The Father saw it and remembered his prom- 
ise, "He shall see of the travail of his soul 
and shall be satisfied;" and Jesus interceding 
said, Let man live, and the Father said, Let 
him live. Because He lives we shall live also. 
The crown by which Esther attracted the no- 
tice of the king brings to our remembrance 
the crown of thorns which Jesus wore while 
bearing the cross. The scepter points us to 
the fact that through his suffering on the cross 
pardon is to be granted, and we are to be 
made " kings and priests to God," and are to 
share in the glory of his kingdom. 



78 Shall Woman Preach 9 

The fourth point in this star we will con- 
sider under the title of Martha, who in the 
hour of trial possessed undeviating faith. Her 
heart was so fixed, and her faith so firm in 
God, that even death could not shake it. — 
John 11 ch. Her brother Lazarus was a resident 
of Bethany — a man of good standing among 
his fellow citizens, and a friend of Jesus. His 
house was often the resting place of Him at 
whose feet Mary delighted to sit. This fam- 
ily seemed to be very happy with the friend- 
ship of Jesus, but upon one occasion, when the 
Master was away, Lazarus took very sick; the 
sisters hastened to send him the message, 
"Lord, behold he whom thou lovest is sick." 
The Savior did not come. So Lazarus died and 
was buried. Four days of mourning passed, 
yet Martha retained her faith and trusted in 
him yet to come and restore the brother she 
had lost. In the evening of the fourth day the 
news came that Jesus was returning to Beth- 
any. Martha arose and hastened to meet him 
and fell on her knees before him and raised 
her hands imploringly toward his face, and with 
a trembling voice, said, "Lord, if thou hadst 
been here my brother had not died. But I 
know that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask 
of God, God will give it thee." Amazing faith! 



Or the Question Answered. 79 

heroic spirit of confidence in God ! Such faith 
was crowned with the blessings of heaven. 
"Jesus said unto her, Thy brother shall rise 
again;" upon which she replied, "I know that 
he shall rise again in the resurrection at the 
last day/' " Jesus said, I am the resurrection, 
and the life; he that believeth in me, though 
he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever 
liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Be- 
lievest thou this?" Well might she answer, 
"Yea, Lord : I believe that thou art the Christ 
the Son of God." 

Here we are reminded by the broken column, 
of Christ's broken body; and by the resurrec- 
tion of Lazarus, of his open tomb; and by the 
comforting of Martha, of the time when all the 
families of earth, made one in him, shall be 
reunited and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, 
and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 

The fifth and last point directs us to Electa. 
"And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though 
I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but 
that which we had from the beginning, that 
we love one another. — II. John 1: 5. We are 
taught to be patient and submissive under 
wrongs. This woman was a lady of high re- 
pute, and of a noble and wealthy family, and 
she lived in the days of St. John the Evangel- 



80 Shall Woman Preach 9 

ist. She was a converted heathen. The idols 
of Rome were the gods she was taught to wor- 
ship. Like Ruth she turned from these to the 
living God. She professed before the world 
herf aith in the despised Nazarene, yet she knew 
well when she did so, she would be exposed to 
persecution and perhaps death. History tells 
us that fourteen years passed and then the 
trial came. Her house had been the home of 
the poor ; her hands were stretched out to the 
needy; but the time of her martyrdom drew 
near and a great persecution began, and any 
one who professed the name of Jesus was re- 
quired to recant his faith or suffer the penalty 
of the law. Electa, as were others, was visit- 
ed by the soldiers who proposed the test of 
casting a cross on the ground, and of requir- 
ing her to put her foot on it. This she re- 
fused to do, and she and her family were cast 
into a dungeon for one year, after which the 
Roman judge came and offered her another 
opportunity to recant her faith, promising if 
she w T ould, she should be protected. Again 
she refused, and this brought the drama to a 
speedy close. The whole family were scourged 
to the very verge of death. Then they were 
drawn on a cart by oxen to the nearest hill and 
crucified. She saw her husband perish; she 



Or the Question Answered. 81 

saw each of her children die on the cruel tree; 
she was then nailed there herself, and thus 
sealed her faith with her blood. 

Her cross reminds us of Him who went that 
way before her. The cup from which she gave 
the thirsty drink reminds us of the bitter cup 
which he drank for us, and of the cup he gave 
us in memory of his death. The clasped hands 
remind us of his love. " Love one another as 
I have loved you." 

In looking at this star we are pointed to 
Christ by every ray and by every symbol. On 
the body of this star we have first the open Bi- 
ble, which is the testament of the great Testa- 
tor, and by this we are pointed to him. In the 
light of the second ray, represented by the 
bunch of lilies, we are pointed to Christ as the 
"Lily of the Valley," who in this light is "the 
fairest among ten thousand and altogether 
lovely." In the third ray, represented by the 
sun shining in his strength, we are referred to 
him as the "Sun of Righteousness." "For 
the Lord God is a sun and shield." In the 
fourth symbol or ray, we have the lamb and 
the cross. Nothing could be more appropriate, 
since by these we are pointed to Christ, " the 
Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of 
the world." " He is brought as a lamb to the 
6 



82 Shall Woman Preach? 

slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers 
is dumb, so he opened not his mouth." "He 
was cut off out of the land of the living ; for the 
transgression of my people was he stricken." 
We shall overcome by the blood of the Lamb. 
In the last emblem on the body of this star, 
we see the lion which points us to him that spake 
as man never spake, even to the Man of sor- 
rows, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, which 
took the book and opened the seven seals, and 
in that open book we read he uttered while on 
the cross seven sentences. 

On each of these five points we have an em- 
blem which is still pointing Christward: first, 
the sword and the veil. By these we are re- 
minded that they came out against Christ with 
swords and staves, and took him, and nailed 
him to the cross ; and that amid rending rocks 
and opening tombs, the veil of the temple was 
rent in twain, while the sun veiled himself in 
darkness, and they pierced his side with a 
sword. We have also the sheaf, pointing us 
to the promise, "He shall see of the travail 
of his soul, and shall be satisfied; by his 
knowledge shall my righteous servant justify 
many." The fields are truly white unto the 
harvest. The crown and scepter point us to 
him that is crowned King of kings and Lord 



Or the Question Answered. 83 

of lords — even to him whose sceptre pardon 
gives — who shall reign until all enemies are put 
under his feet. The broken column reminds 
us of his horrible death. In the midst of life 
he was cut off in death, and "numbered with 
the transgressors." Lastly, we have the cup 
and joined hands pointing us to the bitter cup 
he drank, and to his love for us when he said, 
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if 
any man hear my voice and open the door, I 
will come in to him, and will sup with him 
and he with me." 

To give this star a finishing touch, we paint 
in five colors — blue, yellow, white, green, and 
red. The blue is an emblem of truth; the 
yellow, of jealousy — "God is a jealous God; 
white is an emblem of purity — God is so pure 
that even "the heavens are not clean in his 
sight;" green, an emblem of loneliness, means 
forsaken — " My God, my God ! why hast thou 
forsaken me!" the red is an emblem of love. 

Again, by the blue w r e are pointed to Him 
that "sitteth upon the circles of the earth;" 
w T ho plants his foot upon the deep blue sea 
and rideth upon the storm, and stills us to rest 
as a mother stills her child upon her breast. 
By the yellow we are reminded of his com- 
mand, "Go work in my vineyard;" for "the 



84 Shall Woman Preach ? 

harvest truly is great, but the laborers are 
few," and whosoever will, may gather fruit 
unto life eternal. The yellow says, "Put ye in 
the sickle, for the harvest is ripe." White — 
Oh what a beautiful type of Him in whose 
mouth no guile was found. He rides upon a 
white horse clothed in brightness. He shineth 
as the sun in his strength, for in him there is 
"no darkness at all." In the green we have 
the hope of the resurrection. For by this we 
are reminded that he died and rose again; and 
that now he ever lives, and because he lives 
we shall live also. For the promise is, "Who- 
soever liveth and believeth on me shall never 
die." "I shall be satisfied when I awake with 
his likeness." The last ray in this star (the 
red) points us to his love, and "herein is 
love, not that we loved God, but that he loved 
us and gave himself for us." As we look upon 
the red, represented by a rose, we are pointed 
to Christ as "the Rose of Sharon." When he 
shed his blood his love to show, he girdled the 
earth with the crimson tide. We go back to 
the blue to see the heavens receive him out of 
sight, and the blood cries out, Look up to 
God! As the rays of light fall on the open 
book, we read and admire the characters of 
those heroic women, who, by their noble deeds 8 



Or the Question Answered. 85 

faith, zeal and courage, have rendered their 
names immortal. We would recommend the 
lives of these noble women to the world as 
being worthy of imitation. So let each one 
that reads these lines try to cultivate the 
virtues and graces of the tried and chosen ser- 
vants of God. Let each one practice them in 
his life, and point to Christ as these did, and 
are yet pointing to him. The deeds of these 
women will never die; their names w T ill ever 
be held in gracious remembrance; as well try 
to rob Death of his prey, as to try to rob these 
of immortality. "Thy people shall be my 
people, and thy God my God." 

F. A. T. A. L. 



"AND THEY CAME, BOTH MEN 

AND WOMEN, AS MANY AS 

WERE WILLING-HEART^ 

EDr Etc.— Ex. 35:22. 
o — - 

After the captivity of the children of Israel, 
they returned to Jerusalem, and under the 
direction of Nehemiah, the walls of the city 
were rebuilt, in the twentieth year of the 
reign of Artaxerxes. " So I came to Jerusa- 
lem, and was there three days. And I arose 
in the night, I and some few men with me; 
neither told I any man what my God had put 
in my heart to do at Jerusalem" — Neh. 2: 11, 

12. The prophet "went up in the night 

and viewed the wall," "and the rulers knew 
not whither he went." He gathered all the 
people together. "And all the congregation of 
them that were come again out of the captiv- 
ity made booths, and sat under the booths. . . . 
And there was very great gladness." "And 
all the people gathered themselves together as 
one man into the street that was before the 
water gate, and they spake unto Ezra the 
scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, 

86 



Shall Woman Preach? 87 

which the Lord had commanded to Israel. 
And Ezra the priest brought the law before 
the congregation both of men and women, and 
all that could hear with understanding, upon 
the first day of the seventh month. And he 
read therein before the street that was before 
the water gate, from the morning until mid- 
day, before the men and the women and those 
that could understand; and the ears of all the 
people were attentive unto the book of the 
law. And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pul- 
pit of wood which they had made for the pur- 
pose And Ezra opened the book in the 

sight of all the people (for he was above all 
the people); and when he opened it all the 
people stood up: and Ezra blessed the Lord, 
the great God. And all the people answered, 
Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and 
they bowed their heads, and worshipped the 
Lord with their faces to the ground." — 
Neh. 8: 1-6. And all the people clave to- 
gether. "And the rest of the people, the priests, 
the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Neth- 
inim, and all they that had separated them- 
selves from the people of the lands unto the 
law of God, their wives, their sons, and their 
daughters, every one having knowledge, and 
having understanding; they clave to their 



88 Shall Woman Preach f 

brethren, their nobles, and entered into a 
curse, and into an oath [that is a covenant], 
to walk in God's law, w r hich was given by 
Moses the servant of God, and to observe and 
do all the commandments of the Lord, our 
Lord, and his judgments and his statutes." — 
Neh. 10:28, 29. 

Having thus covenanted together, men and 
women, to do his work and to keep his stat- 
utes, they began the work of rebuilding the 
walls of Jerusalem, and both shared in this 
great undertaking. In the third chapter of 
Nehemiah, we have the names and the order 
of them that builded the wall. The work of 
each one was necessary to the completion of 
the w T hole. Though their persecution was 
great, they continued the work. "When San- 
ballat heard that we builded the wall, he was 
wroth, and took great indignation, and 
mocked the Jews." — Neh. 4:1. " But it came 
to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and 
the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the 
Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem 
were made up, and that the breaches began to 
be stopped, then they were very wroth, and 
conspired all of them together, to come and 
to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it." — 
Neh. 4: 7, 8. But these men and woman 



Or the Question Answered. 89 

worked right on side by side : for the prophet 
"rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to 
the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be 
not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord 
which is great and terrible, and fight for your 
brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your 
wives, and your houses." — Neh. 4: 14. "Every 
one with one of his hands wrought in the 
work, and with the other hand held a weapon. 
For the builders, every one, had a sword girded 
by his side, and so builded." — Neh. 4: 17, 18. 
They were ready at any time for the ap- 
proach of the enemy, and at the sound of the 
trumpet, they were to meet the enemy in com- 
bat. So they were instructed, men and women: 
" In what place therefore ye hear the sound 
of the trumpet, resort ye thither with us: our 
God shall fight for us" — that is for the build- 
ers. We read, Neh. 3: 12, "And next unto 
him repaired Shallum, the son of Halohesh, 
the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem, he 
and his daughters." If God fought for the 
women in building the walls of Jerusalem, 
will he not fight for them as they fulfill the 
prophecy? — "They shall build the old wastes, 
they shall raise up the former desolations, and 
they shall repair the waste cities, the desola- 
tions . of many generations." — Isa. 61: 4. 



90 Shall Woman- Preach f 

Woman's work in the building of the temple 
was recognized by man and blessed of Heaven. 
Shall men refuse now to recognize her as a 
builder, as a warrior, as a helper ? Had those 
women failed to do their part of the work, the 
walls would not have been completed. The 
men might have done their part of the work, 
and have done it well; yet that would not have 
sufficed. The work of the women was neces- 
sary to the completion or perfection of the 
whole. Their work did not take from the 
work of the men, but rather added to it; and 
thus the breaches were closed. " They offered 
great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had 
made them rejoice with great joy: the wives 
also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy 
of Jerusalem was heard afar off." — Neh. 12: 
43. They pledged themselves to walk in all 
the commandments of the Lord their God. 

Just so the men of to-day may nobly per- 
form their part of the work in spreading the 
Gospel, but if the women fail to do their part, 
there will be a breach in the wall. Now, shall 
woman with her heaven-soaring aspirations, 
fail to consecrate her time and talents to 
God ? "Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of 
our brethren, our children as their children:, 
and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and 



Or the Question Answered. 91 

our daughters to be servants, and some of our 
daughters are brought into bondage already." 
— Neh. 5:5. Who, then, will help us to 
deliver ? The storm may rage, and the tem- 
pest may howl, but when we cry aloud for 
help, the Master standeth near, and whispers 
in our souls, "It is I; be not afraid." We 
know he holds us by the hand, and we can 
trust him w T here'er he leads. Though the 
clouds be dark, and the waves beat high, he 
still sustains us, and far beyond the darkness, 
inthelancTof unclouded day, w T e shall know 
why in his wisdom he hath led us so. 

It is said that when the house of the Lord 
was in building, "It was built of stone made 
ready before it was brought thither, so that 
there was neither hammer, nor ax, nor any 
tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in 
building." — I. Kings 6: 7. This teaches us a 
spiritual lesson. All regenerated persons be- 
long to the house of God, " and are built upon 
the foundation of the apostles and prophets, 
Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner- 
stone; in whom all the building fitly framed 
together, groweth into an holy temple in the 
Lord; in whom ye also are builded together 
for an habitation of God through the Spirit." 
— Eph. 2: 20-22, 



92 /Shall Woman Preach f 

So there is a temple being erected, not made 
with hands; Christ is the foundation upon 
which that house is being built. He is a sure 
foundation — "a living stone, disallowed indeed 
of men, but chosen of God, and precious. Ye, 
also, as lively stones are built up a spiritual 
house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual 
sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." 
— I. Peter 2:4, 5. If women have a place in 
this "spiritual house," then it follows that 
they are to offer up spiritual sacrifices. The 
sacrifice that God requires is not a dead, but 
a living sacrifice; that is a moving, active sac- 
rifice, such as we may give by consecrating our 
lives to his service. Paul, in writing to the 
church at Rome, said, "I beseech you, there- 
fore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that 
ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, 
acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable 
service." — Rom, 12: 1. 

Women, coming as lively stones to Christ, 
the living stone, have their places side by side 
with the men in the spiritual house, and are as 
much required as they to consecrate their lives 
to God — not as a dead, inactive, but as a liv- 
ing sacrifice. They have as much right to aid 
in getting up the material and in building this 
house, as any man, 



Or the Question Answered, 93 

The stones in the temple were made ready 
before they were brought thither, and when 
the building was erected, the sound of the 
workman's hammer was not heard. So in the 
building of the temple of God, this spiritual 
house, we are not to use carnal weapons, but 
"The sword of the Spirit, which is the word 
of God." This is to be used by faith, with 
much prayer. " Praying always with all pray- 
er and supplication in the Spirit, and watching 
thereunto with all perseverance and supplica- 
tion, for all saints." "For they watch for 
your souls, as they that must give account, that 
they may do it with joy, and not w T ith grief." 
This lesson Christ taught us when "they came 
out against him with swords and staves" from 
the chief priests and elders of the people. 
When his disciples saw that the multitude 
would take him, they came to his rescue with 
carnal weapons. " Then Simon Peter having 
a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's 
servant, and cut off his right ear. Then said 
Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the 
sheath." "All they that take the sword shall 
perish w T ith the sword." 

This gentle rebuke is to us a warning. How 
dare we go without the anointing of the Spir- 
it ? Carnal weapons will not suffice ; we must 



94 Shall Woman Preach? 

have the power of God. There are many 
mighty and powerful swords, but none so pow- 
erful as that which God giveth — even the sword 
of truth. Some of these swords glitter in the 
form of rhetoric, intellect, education, etc. 
Some ministers, in the use of their swords can 
rise and touch the very skies ; others can dive 
into the depths and pierce nature's veil; but 
how much mightier the sword of God's. It 
can pierce the heart. "The Word of God is 
quick and powerful, and sharper than any two- 
edged sword, piercing to the dividing asunder 
of soul and spirit, and of the joints and mar- 
row, and is a discerner of the thoughts and 
intents of the heart."— Heb. 4: 12. Truly, 
" He that is joined unto the Lord is one spir- 
it." "The God of heaven will prosper us." 



CHRISTIAN AND PAGAN 

WOMANHOOD. 

o 

A religion that does not give woman the lib- 
erty, privileges, and blessings, that it does man, 
will not stand the test ; it falls far short of be- 
ing the religion of the Bible. We learn from 
the Bible, that there are gods, many, and of 
course as many religions. James says, "If any 
man among you seem to be religious, and brid- 
leth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own 
heart, this man's religion is vain." He also 
gives us the definition of the true religion, say- 
ing, it is "To visit the fatherless and widows in 
their afflictions, and to keep himself unspotted 
from the world." This is the only religion in 
which men and women are equal sharers. All 
others put woman below the man, and make 
her a slave to a greater or less extent. In 
heathen lands, where our Bible has not yet 
found its way, and where our gospel has not 
been heard, women are drudges. Even those 
in royal robes live in fear and dread of their 
lords and masters. 

Turn, now, the dark pages of history, and 
we find among Babylonians, Lydians, Syrians, 

95 



96 Shall Woman Preach 9 

Persians, and many other barbarous nations, 
that women were sold for wives, and even for 
slaves. They were regarded as being but a lit- 
tle above the brute creation. All peoples and 
nations are what their religions make them. 
Their religions were wrong, and, consequently, 
the wrongs the poor women suffered were great. 
In Greece, woman's position was not quite so 
degrading; yet she was considered as fit only 
for menial drudgery. There is nothing sadder 
than the condition of woman in the decline of 
the Roman empire. She was so degraded that 
life itself became a burden. In some nations 
the wife is the slave of her husband, while he 
lives, and at his death she becomes the prop- 
erty of his father. In other countries she is 
put to death on the grave of her husband, that 
she may continue to serve him in another 
world. We are shocked when we read of such 
inhumanity of man toward woman, and we 
stand in horror of such treatment. We cease 
to wonder at this when we remember that this 
is a part of their religion. 

It cannot be denied that this is the general 
history of women without the light of our gos- 
pel, and without the influence of our religion. 
Then, wherein consists the woman's, or the 
nation's greatness or liberty? The secret, or 






Or the Question Ansivered. 97 

answer, is found in the open Bible. It is a 
fact that a religion that degrades and dishonors 
woman does not elevate the man. On the 
other hand, a religion that elevates the man, 
will give equal honor to the woman. It is only 
when woman is held in high esteem, that man 
becomes noble and rises to true greatness. 
This lesson Christ taught when, he came to 
earth, and walked with men, and ministered un- 
to them. Herein lies true greatness. Strength 
is not greatness, but weakness when given, or 
consecrated, to God, is greatness. 

In heathen nations, woman's love or prefer- 
ence is not considered in regard to marriage, 
and wives are taught to obey their husbands 
as lords, or even as slaves obey their masters. 
But our religion teaches the wives to obe} r 
their husbands through true love and affec- 
tion ; and the husbands to give honor to their 
wives as unto the weaker vessel, and to love 
them as Christ loved the Church, and gave 
himself for it. What a contrast ! Heathenism 
teaches that a wife must be a slave ; Christi- 
anity, that she is a helpmeet — an equal sharer 
in all the blessings of the gospel. It is true, 
that it took many years, and even centuries, to 
rid the popular mind of its time-hardened, 
superstitious notions regarding the inferiority 
7 



98 Shall Woman Preach? 

of woman. But a few years ago it was thought 
tl;at woman was incapacitated for teaching 
school. However, as Christianity advances, 
which it is doing continually, woman becomes 
more and more elevated, and is found teach- 
ing in our best schools. Indeed, every true 
man reverences the very name of woman, and 
with our religion, says, liberate the woman: 
while heathenism, with its chains, says, she 
shall bear our burdens. She has her infant 
strapped across her back, while her lordly 
escort goes untrammeled. 

Christianity is always ready to help the wom- 
an; it meets her at the gate; it escorts her to 
her room; it gives her the best chair; and when 
she walks, it carries her parasol. Whence 
comes this refinement ? Is it the offspring of 
heathenism? Nay; 'tis the child of Christian- 
ity. To deny this, is infidelity. Though wom- 
an be weaker physically and mentally (if you 
choose to say it) than a man, it is admitted 
that in some points she is the stronger. As a 
rule, she is stronger to resist temptation; she 
is more patient and resolute. While there are 
m'any grand and noble Christian men, yet it is 
true, that women, with their confiding and 
sympathetic natures, are more easily brought 
to Christ; and are thereby more readily and 



Or the Question Ansivered. 99 

directly benefitted by hearing the gospel. The 
number of Christian women far exceeds that of 
the men. 

And it is certainly true that woman's influ- 
ence, whether for good or evil, is great. What 
the world needs most is woman's influence 
given to God. When the women are christian- 
ized, the world will be converted to the service 
of the living God. Observation gives some 
idea of a woman's influence. One vile, brutal 
woman in a village, or community, will do more 
to corrupt morals, and bring shame and dis- 
grace to womanhood, and the community, than 
a dozen men; for her ways are the ways of 
toll : yea, " her house is the way to hell, going 
down to the chambers of death." "Let not 
thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray 
in her paths. For she hath cast down many 
wounded: yea, many strong men have been 
slain by her." 

Take the influence of the Christian women 
out of the world to-day; stop her in all her ef- 
forts to do good and to bring the world to 
Christ; forbid her to teach the way of salvation ; 
put her to silence in the churches; and you 
have a Samson shorn of his locks: yea, the 
Church is robbed of her strength. Our house 
will be divided, and a few more gusts of wind, 



100 Shall Woman Preach 9 

another wave, and our destruction will be sure. 
Woe to the world when the Church binds her 
women; when Christianity gives her woman- 
hood to infidelity and heathenism; when she 
takes from them the privileges nothing else can 
give! Midnight darkness, with the shades of 
hell, will surround the world, and the chains 
that no man can break asunder will bind us. 
Men and morals will sink to rise no more; the 
floods of infamy and shame will cover us. We 
have need to learn that, "We, then, that are 
strong ought to bear the infirmities of the 
weak," and that men and women should work 
together for the glory of God and the salvation 
of souls. If the cause is a worthy one, we ought 
to use all the help we can get, and not reject 
the assistance of any. 

That we may be able to appreciate the help 
of woman, and to comprehend the greatness of 
her influence, the reader is referred to Mrs. 
Dr. Finney, of the United States, who visited 
Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1859. At that time 
there was no such thing in all Scotland as a 
woman's prayer-meeting — indeed, a woman 
that would attempt to pray, even among her 
her own sex, was thought to be very much out 
of place. In the Bristow Street Hall, of Bright- 
on Street Congregation, of the Evangelical 



Or the Question Answered. 101 

Union Church, with the co-operation of Mrs. 
Dr. Kirk (wife of the pastor, Rev. John Kirk), 
Mrs. Finney organized the first woman's prayer- 
meeting ever organized in Scotland. The move- 
ment was then condemned by the masses. Men 
and women lifted up their hands in "holy 
horror;" but the meeting went on, gradually 
increasing in interest. One by one, ladies of 
other denominations came in; some came to 
wonder and criticise, but remained to pray, and 
finally went away to praise. The influence of 
that meeting widened and deepened ; prejudice 
gave way, and many other prayer-meetings 
were organized in the city; thence this move- 
ment spread to other towns, and over the 
whole of Scotland. To-day they have a band 
of workers not often excelled. 

The established Church of Scotland, which 
is Presbyterian, has gone so far as to appoint 
deaconesses; and in every denomination in 
Scotland, the women do a large part of the 
church work, and especially in collecting funds 
for missionary purposes. Not only so, but 
they speak in public in the churches. It is 
said that three of the best speakers ever heard 
in Edinburgh were women. Right will finally 
triumph. Though this woman's prayer-meet- 
ing met with great opposition, these faithful 



102 Shall Woman Preach? 

women have brought all Scotland to their way 
of thinking. Who would have thought of the 
third great Scottish Reformation's having an 
American origin — and only a woman for its au- 
thor! Who could have believed that a wom- 
an could set so many wheels to turning in this 
so grand a movement? 

The battle is waxing hotter, the tempest is 
howling louder, and Satan must be cast out. 
With a few more Mrs. Finney s, and Elizabeth 
Frys, the contest will be over, and the victory 
will be ours. They are coming; the tide is al- 
read}^ upon us; and he that cannot read the 
signs of the times must be asleep to the sur- 
roundings. Who knows what a sensation the 
next movement may create? The women are 
fast coming to the front, and are engaging in 
active public work. Already a large majority 
of Sunday-school teachers and officers are 
women. But she has not yet attained to all that 
is her rightful possession and privilege. It 
is only a question of time when she will stand 
at the top. Though many obstacles are thrown 
in her way, it only remains for time to show 
that these will disappear as mists before the 
rising sun. God will wipe them away as so 
many cobwebs. It is certain that no amount 
of prejudice, and narrow-Keartedness and op- 



Or the Question Answered. 103 

position, can very long keep back the in-com- 
ing flood. Women will not always be held 
back by these things. Many good and noble 
ones have been cried down, but when once the 
door is open others will enter. 

The world is moving; time is flying, and 
souls are dying: and the Church must move, 
or the blood of many will be on her skirts. 
There are already many women, of no mean 
ability, of various denominations, who speak 
clearly and distinctly. They have opened their 
mouths, and they will not go back; and the 
church that cuts them off inflicts on herself a 
wound that time will not, yea cannot, heal. No 
church, awake to its interests, and alive to the 
cause of Christ, can afford to do such a thing. 
This forward religious movementof the wom- 
en has started a wave that will touch all de- 

• 

nominations. It will sweep over every plain; 
it shall increase for good; dashing down the 
hillside of time, it shall strike the shore of 
eternity, to meet many thousands, who will 
bless God for the good and noble women that 
shared in this great work. Woman's mission 
is to reach the noble and the sublime, and un- 
less she succeeds in making the world better 
and happier, by her work and by her life, she 
fails to attain unto the high standard assigned 



104 Shall Woman Preach ? 

her. She may teach holy truths, and point 
souls to the Eock of Ages, everywhere — in the 
Sabbath-school, in the church, in the crowded 
tenement houses of great cities, and in the ha- 
rems of India. If she fails in this work, the 
luster of her womanhood's glory is dimmed 
thereby. 

Let her be careful in using her best gifts for 
Christ (who was ever the friend of woman), 
and his service. While heathen voices, from 
all parts of the Orient, are heard crying for the 
bread of life, may not the hearts of many be 
thrilled, who w r ill arise and obey the Lord's 
command: "Go work in my vineyard," and, 
" as ye go, preach?" May not our women, like 
Mary, choose to set at the feet of the Master, 
and be as much honored as she that is "cumber- 
ed about much serving?" Women of culture 
and refinement are needed to go as gospel mes- 
sengers to the nations that " sit in darkness." 

There are many reasons why women should 
go to the foreign field of labor, as well as re- 
main at home, but I will give only two. First; 
Because of the acknowledged, exalted position 
conferred by Christ and the gospel upon wom- 
anhood. Second; Because of her influence, 
and because of certain social customs, which 
abound in many heathen countries, which cus- 



Or the Question Answered. 105 

toms prevent women from being reached ex- 
cept by their own sex. So far her labors in 
this respect have been wonderfully blessed. In 
the last few years, women' in their work, have 
made a record that ought to inspire them with 
greater courage in coming time. To work 
among the heathen, many women have left 
home, and friends, and native land, perhaps 
never to see those dear unto them, until their 
mission on earth is accomplished and they re- 
ceive their star-decked crowns in the New Jeru- 
salem. But, God's watchful eye is over them; 
his boundless love enfolds them ; his everlast- 
ing arm is underneath them: and they are 
borne up amid all the conflicts of life. Any 
effort to hold woman back in this great work, is 
but a step downward, and all opposition may 
be attributed, either to a misunderstanding of 
the Scriptures, or to downright prejudice — 
either of which is hurtful to the cause, and 
tends toward heathenism. 

Again, that we may have a better idea of the 
vastness of woman's influence, we refer to Jez- 
ebel, the wife of king Ahab. (See I. Kings 
21:1-17.) That wicked woman had Naboth 
"stoned with stones that he died/' and after 
his death she influenced Ahab to take (steal) 
his vineyard. Ahab was a bad man, but Jez- 



106 Shall Woman Preach 9 

ebel was a worse woman. When his plans 
failed, she manufactured lies and devised plots 
for the death of Naboth; and she succeeded. 
That a bad woman is worse than a bad man, 
and that her influence is greater than his, is 
demonstrated in this instance; She was de- 
termined to have Naboth's vineyard, and noth- 
ing stood in her way. She laid a scheme for 
disposing of him, under the garb of religion. 
She had a fast proclaimed: Naboth was set on 
high, as a man of recognized position and 
piety; then wicked and worthless men accused 
him of blasphemy, which meant death under 
the law of Moses. The awful deed was done, 
and in the name of religion, this wicked wom- 
an had an innocent man murdered. *By reason 
of her influence, Ahab took possession of the 
coveted vineyard. 

In order to fathom the depth of woman's 
degradation and misery in heathen darkness, 
Ave will refer the reader to history. Wom- 
en in the primitive era of the Romans were 
held in perpetual minority. When they passed 
from the hands of their fathers to their hus- 
bands, they simply became the property of an- 
other, and were placed under perpetual guar- 
dianship. (See Ortolan's History of Roman 
Law.) "All women, on account of the infirm- 



Or the Question Ansicered. 107 

ity of their judgments, shall.be under the pow- 
er, or control, of tutors." — Cicero. The Vo- 
conian Law prohibited a man from making a 
woman, even an only daughter, his heir. — Au- 
gustine. Indeed, a woman was not allowed to 
own any property at all. She had no right, at 
any age, to control her own time, or regulate 
her own conduct. All her earnings belonged 
to her father, or, if he were dead, to a brother, 
or some representative of the stronger sex. 
And if any one, at her marriage, bestowed upon 
her a gift, it became at once the property of 
her husband. She had no control over any- 
thing, not even over her own children. The 
father could give away her daughters without 
her consent. Even in widowhood, a woman 
could not become the guardian of her own 
children. She could not inherit property by 
will. Such laws, to civilized people, seem 
worse than barbarous. All that has been said 
of Rome applies to Greece. Perpetual minor- 
ity was the highest boon given by them to wom- 
an. Women did all the drudgery: they could 
make no bargain that was legal; not even pur- 
chase their own apparel with their own earn- 
ings. In fact, a woman was not allowed to 
have any religion except that prescribed by 
her master. 



108 Shall Woman Preach t 

Concerning woman's position in ancient In- 
dia, the Shasters, or sacred books of the 
Hindoos, are the best authority. From them 
we quote: "By a girl, or a young woman, or 
a woman advanced in years, nothing must be 
done, even in her own dwelling, according to 
her wishes, or mere pleasure. When in the 
presence of her husband, she must abandon 
everything else, and be ready to receive his 
commands." She is even kept in subjection 
by means of a rope, or a small cane; and it is 
believed, so far as she honors her husband, so 
far will she be exalted in' heaven. In vain we 
try to fathom the depths of such degradation ; 
for Christian womanhood cannot comprehend 
it. Think, will you, of a woman with heaven- 
soaring aspirations, being thus compelled to 
bow to her lord and master (man). It is worse 
than an outrage, and but for an open Bible, 
and its blessed influence, the daughters of 
America would be bound with heavy chains. 

Among many of the Greeks, and other na- 
tions, polygamy was practiced, and had the 
sanction of the law. A stream can not rise 
higher than the fountain from which it pro- 
ceeds, therefore, when the basis of such degra- 
dation is considered (woman's inferiority), we 
do not wonder that the course is downward. 



Or the Question Answered. 109 

Many testimonies like the above could be 
given, but these are fair samples, and will 
serve our purpose. But why should woman 
be thus cribbed and fettered? Heathenism 
answers, " Because of her inferiority." 

What the Church most needs, is to arise, with 
sword in hand, to cut off the head of this great 
monster. Will she do it? If she fails, she fails 
in her high mission; for every effort that is be- 
ing made to break these chains, and to liberate 
woman, is in accord with the great commission: 
"Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations." 
Shall we, then, go over and possess the land? 
To this the Church replies, we will; and she 
sends out her missionaries, and thereby says, 
our women are free. Truly they are free; for 
"If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, 
ye shall be free indeed." "Where the Spirit 
of the Lord is, there is liberty." — II. Ccrr. 3: 17. 
We are free to serve God, as moved by the 
Spirit, without respect of person — both men 
and women. There is nothing said of woman's 
being bound, and man's being liberated. Yet, 
if she is to be kept in subjection, and not al- 
lowed to speak, then where is her liberty? 

Beware, O man, lest thou become a usurper 
in binding what God hath loosed, and thou be 
found fighting against God! Remember, just 



110 Shall Woman Preach 9 

as thou art free, so woman is free ; and as thou 
standest, she stands. "Take heed, lest by 
any means, this liberty of yours become a 
stumbling-block to them that are weak." — I. 
Cor. 8: 9. "As free, and not using your lib- 
erty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the 
servants of God." "Stand fast, therefore, in 
the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us 
free." " Brethren, ye have been called unto 
liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to 
the flesh, but by love serve one another." — 
Gal. 5: 13. These admonitions, many would 
do well to read, and then to see to it that they 
do not put a stumbling-block in somebody 
else's way, by putting ecclesiastical restrictions 
on women's mouths. 

"The Lord will provide," is as true now as 
when first uttered. There is a power behind 
the throne, and help will yet come. The foe 
shall be cast out; Hainan shall be hanged. 
This modern Haman, like Haman of old, offers 
to pay for cutting off our women; saying, I 
will give them to you in everlasting bondage; 
her chains shall be upon your daughters, and 
her fetters upon your grand-daughters. He 
places his feet on the American shores, and holds 
out his hand to the Church, and offers himself 
in holy wedlock. Strange that our Church 



Or the Question Answered. Ill 

will adopt the sentiment of the wicked Persian 
monarch, and say, Do with them as it seemeth 
good. Who can believe that she will do thus ? 
Yet those who would hinder women in the 
spread of the gospel, are promising this modern 
Hainan their assistance. Who knows but this 
gallows is the very one upon which they shall 
be hanged ? The world has already felt the 
tread of an Esther, and through her instru- 
mentality the world's womanhood shall be re- 
deemed. The edict shall be changed; the 
chains shall be broken; and woman shall be at 
liberty to work for God, in "The land of the 
free, and the home of the brave. " Our ex- 
tremities have ever been God's opportunities. 
The ravens fed Elijah when he was in need. It 
does not matter whether they were birds or 
men, they came at the right time. Paul says, 
"All things are yours," and the Lord said, 
"The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither 
shall the cruse of oil fail." "And the king 
said unto Esther, What is thy petition? and it 
shall be granted thee : and what is thy request ? 
even to the half of the kingdom it shall be per- 
formed." — Esth. 5: 6. Jesus said, "Ask, and 
it shall be given you." " For ever, O Lord, thy 
word is settled in heaven," "Rejoice, O heav- 
en, and sing, O earth;" for God hath said, "O 



112 'Shall Woman Preach? 

woman, great is thy faith ; be it unto thee even 
as thou wilt." Esther with God has prevailed, 
and my people, men and women, are free. 

The outlook is truly encouraging. The wom- 
en of America have accomplished a work in the 
last decade of which they may well be proud. 
The record they have made is cheering, and 
soul-inspiring. Many doors of usefulness have 
been opened to them, and women everywhere 
are preparing themselves to explore fields 
where their tread has never yet been felt. 
These are stubborn and unyielding facts, and 
ere long we will have passed the milestone that 
says, put a padlock on woman's lips. Miriam 
and Moses shall again stand side by side in this 
great conflict. "For we wrestle not against 
flesh and blood, but against principalities, 
against powers, against spiritual wick- 
edness in high places." Already a number of 
noble women are in the field, and others are 
on the threshhold. 

Within the last half century, the cause of fe- 
male education has made wonderful progress. 
Female colleges abound in all parts of the 
country, and their number is rapidly increas- 
ing. Woman may now make choice of her em- 
ployment, and educate herself for the same. 
In the near future the voice of the croaker 



Or the Question Answered. 113 

will be hushed. Two-thirds of our public 
schools are now taught by women, and they 
have proved themselves efficient teachers. 
The stupid prejudices which have been hold- 
ing women back, are fast giving way. From 
the Nazareths of America women are coming 
whose influence will be felt from pole to pole. 
Mrs. Annie C. Peyton, of Mississippi, has 
founded an industrial institute and college at 
Columbus, Miss. In spite of great and seeming- 
ly insurmountable obstacles, Elizabeth Black- 
well has won great renown in her chosen calling, 
and she has lived to see many medical schools 
established even in America. Such institutions 
may be found in Chicago, Philadelphia, New 
York, Boston, and Cleveland. These institu- 
tions have sent out hundreds of graduates, who 
are an honor to their profession, and for skill 
they are not a whit behind the men of the 
same calling. From the work of such women 
as Frances E. Willard, DoraT. Lanthrop, Sal- 
lie F. Chapin, Dora Bead Goodall, Sarah 
Crosby, Mary Bosanquet, Mrs. Frame, and 
many others, we have invincible proof that 
they have received the anointing of the Holy 
Spirit. "They were no doubt called of God, 
and heaven-ordained messengers; for "by 
their fruits ye shall know them." 
8 



114 Shall Woman Preach 9 

In January, 1861, the first Woman's Mission- 
ary Society was organized, and it was non-sec- 
tarian. In 1868 the Woman's Board of Mis- 
sions, auxiliary to the American Board, came 
into existence. In 1869 the Woman's Mission- 
ary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church 
was organized. The Presbyterian Church or- 
ganized a similar society in 1870; the Baptist 
in 1871; the Protestant Episcopal Church in 
1872; the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, 
in 1878; and the Cumberland Presbyterian 
Church in 1880. Since then other churches 
have followed these examples, and there are 
now twenty-two such organizations among the 
various denominations. "Behold, how great 
a matter a little fire kindleth." We leave the 
reader to consider the work of these societies. 

Again, in 1887, the Church of Scotland, 
through its General Assembly, created the of- 
fice of deaconess, and a school for the training 
of women for that office has been established 
in Edinburgh. The movement in America is 
certainly pointing in that direction, and in 
many of our churches women are doing the 
work of deacons. If she does the work that 
pertains to an office, is there any reason why 
she should not hold that office? It is certain 
that many of them can do the work that per- 



Or the Question Answered. 115 

tains to the office more successfully than many 
of our men. These are st6rn facts, and why 
women should not be clothed officially for this 
work, is a thought difficult of conception. To 
be consistent, the Church should either take 
this work out of woman's hands, or clothe her 
with this authority. Which will she do? To 
take this work out of her hands, she slays her 
best collecting agents, and her finances, or in- 
come, will be cut short. To clothe her with 
official authority, is but to open the way for 
her ordination to the gospel ministry. 

Woman's prospect for future usefulness is 
brightening: new fields are inviting her: and 
when she has once entered the work, no earth- 
ly power can turn the tide. Who can put the 
machinery into operation that will stop the 
temperance work, or the work of our Woman's 
Board, or of the various societies? In our own 
Church, in various congregations, and in dif- 
ferent presbyteries, women are acting as dea- 
cons and clerks of sessions. All this is but ad- 
mitting that she is capable of doing the work 
that pertains to these offices. And if she does 
the work successfully, why not let her hold the 
office? Can any reason be given, except that 
of the man who plowed with a crooked stick? 
— " 'cause dad plowed that way!" This is an 



116 Shall Woman Preach ? 

age of improvement, and the days of wooden 
plows have been left behind ; and the man that 
does this or that " 'cause dad did it," is un- 
willing to make any progress. He is but a mod- 
ern Rip Van Winkle. 

This is only priming the picture. If the chan- 
nels of woman's usefulness are ever filled up, 
many great and deep fountains of charity and 
blessedness will forever cease to flow. The 
current of salvation will be turned backward, 
and our sisters of the Orient will be doomed 
to perpetual bondage. But Thou, O God, 
canst work, and none can hinder. Thou canst 
break the chains, and set these poor women 
free. Earth shall yet keep her jubilee. God 
has opened to woman a door of usefulness — 
and no man can shut it. How many say, 
" Here am I, send me!" 



" THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE 
YOU FREE." 



"The Lord gave the Word: great was the 
company of those that published it. Kings of 
armies did flee apace: and she that tarried at 
home divided the spoil."— Psa. 68 : 11, 12. 
Here it is said, that the Lord gave the Word, 
and great was the number that published, or 
preached, that Word. By reference to the first 
chapter of the gospel as recorded by John, we 
have the definition of the Word, which John 
says was in the beginning with God, and by 
whom all things were made. " The Word was 
made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we be- 
held his glory, the glory as of the only begot- 
ten of the Father, full of grace and truth." — 
John 1 : 14. This is the Word given by God, 
and that which we were admonished by Paul to 
preach. It is also stated that, "She that tar- 
ried at home divided the spoil." It seems that 
the prophet Jeremiah had an eye single to this 
fact when he said: " Consider ye, and call for 
the mourning women, that they may come; 
and send for the cunnjng women that they 
may come; and let them make haste, and take 

117 



118 Shall Woman Preach f 

up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run 
down with tears, and our eyelids gush out with 
waters. For a voice of wailing is heard out of 
Zion. How are we spoiled! we are greatly con- 
founded. "— Jer. 9: 17-19. You see the Word 
is to be published, and the spoil divided, and 
the prophet has called for the woman. Zion 
is spoken of as the Church, and it seems here 
that her banners were trailing in the dust, that 
she was groping her way in darkness. We feel 
sure that these women went into the work re- 
membering the promise that when Zion trav- 
ailed, that sons and daughters should be born 
unto her. Let us here ask these, "Watchman, 
what of the night?" Can we not truthfully 
say, the day breaketh and the morning dawn- 
eth, and thereby join Isaiah the prophet, and 
s€y, "Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear 
my voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto 
my speech. Many days and years shall ye be 
be troubled, ye careless women: for the vin- 
tage shall fail, and the gathering shall not 
come. Tremble ye women that are at ease; 
be troubled, ye careless ones. Upon the land 
of my people shall come up thorns and briers ; 
yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous 
city." — Isa. 32 : 9-13.* If there was ever a time 
when we ought to be up and doing, surely it is 



Or the Question Answered. 119 

now: wickedness, vice and folly, immorality 
and sins of the deepest dye, rise up to choke 
the Word. Would we not do well in this age 
of improvement, to get out of the old ruts, and 
to shake off the chains of prejudice? " Stand 
ye in the ways, and see and ask for the old 
paths, w T here is the good way, and w^alk there- 
in." Now, as these men were moved by the 
Holy Ghost, they spake, being a mouth-piece 
for God, and they prophesied of things to 
come. They, while under the influence of the 
Holy Ghost, spoke and wrote not of nor for 
themselves, but of, and for God. So let us 
hear what these say. Now, if woman's true 
place is at home, why did this prophet call for 
them? Why burden them unnecessarily? Did 
he make a mistake w T hen he called for the wom- 
an? The truth is, woman has ever been re- 
garded by holy men, and by God, as an impor- 
tant factor in the beginning and completion of 
the world's redemption. To her the promise 
was made, and by her the world was presented 
with a Savior which was indeed the Christ, 
w^ho, by his triumphant death and resurrection, 
conquered death, hell and the grave. And be- 
cause he ever liveth, w T e expect to conquer 
through the seed of the woman; and he hath 
called us to glory and to virtue. 



120 IShcdl Woman Preach? 

» 

Solomon said, "Open thy mouth for the 
dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed 
to destruction." — Prov. 31:8. Now, if the 
above read thus, Open thy mouth in the inter- 
est of the dumb, etc., the meaning would not 
be changed, and we think it would be a better 
rendering. Again, same chapter, verse 9, 
"Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and 
plead the cause of the poor and needy." Here 
the women are directed, through the organ of 
speech, to address the poor and needy, or, as 
David has it, present them with the Word 
which the Lord gave ; and Paul calls it preach- 
ing the Word. The price of such a woman is 
"far above rubies." "Strength and honor 
are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time 
to come. She openeth her mouth with wisdom, 
and in her tongue is the law of kindness" (verses 
10, 25, 26). That women have been called upon 
to open their mouths and speak in the interest 
of the poor and needy, is in keeping with the 
New Testament. Christ would always have the 
poor remembered, and when he made a great 
supper, he directed his servants (whether men 
or women) to "go out into the streets and lanes 
of the city, and bring in hither the poor and the 
maimed, and the halt and the blind." Surely 
a more needy people could not be found, yet 



Or the Question Answered. 121 

this is the class among whom these women 
were directed to labor. The Lord has prom- 
ised them, that " No weapon that is formed 
against them shall prosper, and every tongue 
that shall rise against them in judgment they 
should condemn." — Isa. 54:17. 

1 'Yet hear the word of the Lord, O ye wom- 
en, and let your ear receive the word of his 
mouth, and teach your daughters wailing, and 
every one her neighbor lamentation." — Jer. 
9 : 20. Here women are commanded to receive 
the Word of the Lord— the same Word that 
Paul said preach. They are to teach or preach 
it, first to their children, and then to their 
neighbors. Here we may ask, and " Who is 
my neighbor?" The reader will remember the 
unfortunate man w x ho fell among thieves, and 
the action of the priest, the Levite, and the 
Samaritan. 

" Rise up, ye .women, that are at ease; hear 
my voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto 
my speech." "Enlarge the place of thy tent, 
and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy 
habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords 
and strengthen thy stakes; .... Fear not; . . . 
for thy Maker is thy husband; the Lord of 
hosts is his name: and thy Redeemer the Holy 
One of Israel: the God of the whole earth 



122 Shall Woman Preach? 

shall he be called. For the Lord hath called 
thee as a woman forsaken and grieved inspirit." 
— Isa. 54:2-6. "Behold, thy people in the 
midst of thee are women." — Neh. 3: 13. "Arise 
and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will 
make thine horn iron, and I will make thy 
hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces 
many people; and I will consecrate their gain 
unto the Lord, and their substance unto the 
Lord of the whole earth."— Mic. 4: 13. Zion 
is spoken of as the Church, and her daughters 
are commanded to arise and thresh together 
the wheat into the garner and fruit unto life 
eternal. "Be in pain, and labor to bring forth, 
O daughter of Zion," for " the kingdom shall 
come to the daughters of Jerusalem (Mic. 
4: 8, 10), and thou shalt build the old waste 
places." 

Among those who shared in the publishing 
of the Word, we find the woman of Samaria, 
the worth of whose labor alone can be appre- 
ciated or told in the day of eternity. We have 
this interesting and touching story recorded 
in John, 4 ch. The reader will remember that 
Christ was a Jew, that is, by birth he descend- 
ed from the family of Abraham, and belonged 
to the tribe of Judah. The disciples also were 
Jews. The Jews, as a nation, had no dealings 



Or the Question Answered. 123 

with the Samaritans. Jesus came, knowing 
all these things, to "a city of Samaria, which 
is called Sychar." "Now Jacob's well was 
there. Jesus, therefore, being wearied w T ith 
his journey, sat thus on the well [the curbing 
or wall] ; and it was about the sixth hour. 
Then there cometh a/woman of Samaria [or of 
the city of Sychar] to draw water." Jesus 
seized the opportunity; the wall of Jacob's 
well was to him a pulpit; its waters his text. 
He there preached to that Samaritan woman, 
and her heart was opened, and, without a 
doubt, she then and there by faith drank of 
that "river the streams whereof shall make 
glad the city of our God." The change wrought 
in that woman was of such a nature that it 
affected her after-life to that extent, that 
nothing more is said of her drawing water from 
this w r ell. Like the fishermen who left their 
nets to follow Jesus, she left her water-pot, 
and went her way into the city, "And saith to 
the men, Come see a man that told me all 
things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?" 
Now we have the woman's text — " the Word 
was made flesh." You w 7 ill remember this 
woman was addressing the men of the city, 
and Christ was her text. The length of her 
discourse we cannot give, but we rejoice over 



124 Shall Woman Preach? 

the result of the message that fell from the 
lips of this God-sent messenger. "And many 
of the Samaritans of that city believed on him 
[that is on Jesus] for the saying of the wom- 
an." — John 4:39. Paul says, "I am not 
ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the 
power of God unto salvation unto every one 
that believeth." So, according to Paul, the 
saying of the woman proved to be the power 
of God unto salvation to the people who heard 
and believed. In this case the Lord's Word 
did not return unto him void, but did accom- 
plish that w T hereunto he sent it. Even if it was 
spoken by a woman, it proved to be a " savor 
of life unto life " to those who accepted it. 

Paul struck the key-note when he said, 
"Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the 
Word of God."— Rom. 10: 11. But again we 
are confronted with the question, " How shall 
they hear without a preacher? and how shall 
they preach except they be sent?" These are 
important questions, and should have the 
prayerful attention of the reader. God needs 
not to be taught of man ; his wisdom is infin- 
ite; his ways are past finding out, and he is no 
respecter of persons. He is maker of our bod- 
ies, and the Father of our spirits, and " in him 
we live arid move and have our being." He 



Or the Question Answered. 125 

hath said, "Without me ye can do nothing," and 
also, by the mouth of his inspired apostle, "Cov- 
et earnestly the best gifts." We learn that "the 
gifts and calling of God are without repent- 
ance." — Rom. 11: 29. Again Paul says, "De- 
sire spiritual gifts;" and James says, "Every 
good gift and every perfect gift is from above, 
and cometh down from the Father of lights." 
And again Paul says, "Stir up the gift of God 
which is in thee;" that is, cultivate this gift, 
use the talent that Heaven has bestowed to the 
honor and glory of God. "Neglect not the 
gift that is in thee." Surely God has a right 
to bestow his gifts upon whom he pleaseth, 
and that women have received a gift to proph- 
esy (preach), none will deny. To tell them 
they should not use this gift, is like telling a 
bird it should not use its wings in flying. 

" Hath not the potter power over the clay to 
make such vessels as suit his taste, or such as 
may be of service to him?" "O house of Is- 
rael, can not I do with you as this potter? saith 
the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the pot- 
ter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of 
Israel." — Jer. 18: 6. Even so, has God not the 
authority to distribute at his own will the tal- 
ents, requiring them again with usury at our 
hands? 



126 . Shall Woman Preach 9 

Then let his work be our pleasure, since 
Christ hath said, "Follow me." " Enlarge the 
place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the 
curtains of thine habitations," in your efforts to 
bring the world to Christ. " Spare not;" but 
rather declare the whole counsel of God, and 
thereby "lengthen thy cords and strengthen 
thy stakes;" " for the Lord hath called thee as 
a woman" (Isa. 54: 2, 6) to share in this great 
work. "Lift up your eyes, and look on the 
fields; for they are white already to harvest." 
Many women have passed through that harvest 
field: and with them precious sheaves have 
borne away to fill the treasure-house of God. 
They have toiled, worn and weary, through 
many a cloudy day, sometimes fainting even by 
the way. At midday they have toiled, while 
the sun has in his effulgent beauty shined; in 
the evening the chilly winds, passing over the 
field of ripened grain, have fanned their brows. 
With new energy and faith aroused, across the 
field they have hurried with sickle in hand. 
We see in the evening gray the shadows stretch- 
ing far o'er the lea; the gates are opening to 
let the gleaners pass ; a carriage waits for the 
sheaves. We hear a call like music ring in the 
air, and they come with their sheaves in their 
arms ; the sweat is on their brow ; their step is 



Or the Question Answered. 127 

light and free. As through the gate they pass, 
"Good night," we hear them say; " my work is 
done." We stand alone ; the shadows are gath- 
ing thick and fast about us: in the stillness of 
the night we hear the rumbling of wheels amid 
the sighing of the field ; music is on the breeze, 
and we turn in the direction of the melodies ; 
and lo the reapers, in robes of white, on a 
chariot ride. We watch them in their flight, 
and suddenly there comes a flood of light; we 
see the "city of gold " — " the house not made 
with hands," "coming down from God out of 
heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her 
husband." And a voice says, "Lift up your 
heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up ye ever- 
lasting doors." Here, in front of the gate, the 
grand procession comes to a halt, and shouts 
of welcome rend the air, while ten thousand 
times ten thousand angels come out to escort 
the guests into the King's presence. And we 
hear a voice saying, "Whose are these, and 
whence come they?" Lost in wonder while 
gazing on that spotless throng, one answers, 
and says, " These are they which came up out 
of great tribulation, and have washed their 
robes and made them white in the blood of the 
Lamb»" There is neither male, nor female, 
neither do they marry any more, but are as the 



128 Shall Woman Preach? 

angels of God in heaven. "And 'a voice said, 
Alleluia, and the four beasts and the four and 
twenty elders said, Alleluia; Alleluia; Amen." 
"This is God's host." 

During the ministry of Christ, there follow- 
ed him many women w r hose hearts were open 
to receive his Word, and they ministered unto 
him of their substance. They were the last at 
his cross, and first at his tomb. Even from 
his birth they were engaged in proclaiming his 
truth. At his presentation in the temple, a 
woman named Anna spoke of the story of re- 
demption (Luke 2: 38), realizing that in him 
dwelt "all the fullness of the Godhead bod- 
ily. ' ' Scholars tell us that this is the very same 
word used with reference to Christ in Mark 
2:2: "And he [Christ] preached [spake] the 
Word unto them." Anna spake of redemption ; 
preached redemption through Christ; spake 
the Word ; preached the Word unto the people. 
"And how can they preach except they be 
sent?" By reference to Luke 8: 47, we find 
that Christ constrained a woman to declare his 
power to heal, for "When the woman saw that 
she was not hid, she came trembling, and fall- 
ing down before him, she declared unto him 
before all the people for what cause she had 
touched him, and how she w r as healed." And 



Or the Question Answered. 129 

he bade her "be of good comfort; Go 

in peace." "Whosoever shall do the will of 
my Father which is in heaven, the same is my 
brother, and sister, and mother." 

Let us turn again to the woman of Samaria. 
She was a Gentile, and was regarded as spring- 
ing from the most depraved and degraded of 
all nations. In addition to this, she was a 
woman of impure life; yet to her Christ dis- 
courses freely upon the very loftiest of themes ; 
revealing to her more clearly than he ever had 
done to his disciples, his mission in the world, 
and the true nature of his spiritual kingdom. 
It is indeed a remarkable fact, that he made 
the first proclamation of his Messiahship to 
this woman. No w x onder the disciples marv- 
elled! This conversation was an object-lesson 
to teach them that the middle wall of partition 
w T as to be broken down, and that even the poor 
Gentile women were to have a share in the 
privileges and the blessings of his kingdom. 
After this woman heard his word, she went 
back to the city, and began her missionary 
tour, and we know that because of her word 
many of the Samaritans believed on him. 
And "so we preach, and so ye believed." 
Paul says the gospel is "the power of God 
unto salvation to every one that believeth." 
9 



130 Shall Woman Preach ? 

The conclusion is that the woman of Sa- 
maria preached the gospel; the people who 
heard it believed her words and were saved. 
Again, it is evident that women are to take 
part in the gospel ministry, for Christ said: 
" The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which 
a woman took and hid in three measures of 
meal till the whole was leavened." Then, ac- 
cording to Christ's own word, the women are 
to assist in this work, until the whole, or the 
masses, are leavened. " Purge out, therefore, 
the old leaven that ye may be a new lump." 
This truth is taught in the story of Mary and 
Martha. Jesus retired often to their house 
for rest; Mary sat at his feet and heard his 
word, but Martha was cumbered about much 
serving (Luke 10:40). All in a worry, she 
came to the Master and said: "Lord, dost 
thou not care that my sister hath left me to 
serve alone? bid her, therefore, that she help 
me. And Jesus answered, and said unto 
her: Martha, Martha, thou art careful and 
troubled about many things: but one thing is 
needful ; and Mary hath chosen that good part, 
which shall not be taken away from her." 
Here he administered a well-merited rebuke to 
Martha, and to all others who would hinder a 
woman from sitting at the feet of her Master, 



Or the Question Anstvered. 131 

or from answering the summons: "The Mas- 
ter is come and calleth for thee." There is 
something for a woman to do besides drudg- 
ing. For her who heeds His call 

" Too short for the service are now the days, 
And joyously full of the happiest praise ! 
Hither and thither the Master sends 
His willing servants among His friends, 
And all who gladly his tasks pursue, 
Find more than enough to hear and do ; 
Nor has any reason for loneliness 
Whom the Master will call, and in calling bless. 
For joy and restfulness came to me 
With " the Master is come, and calleth for thee." 

It is evident that sex amounts to nothing in 
the kingdom of God ; for in heaven both are 
to be "equal unto the angels." A woman 
poured costliest perfume upon his head, and 
bathed his feet with her tears, and wiped them 
with the hair of her head. The highest com- 
mendation ever conferred upon mortal was 
given to this woman. And Jesus said, "Let her 
alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought 
a good work on me. She hath done what she 
could; she is come aforehand to anoint my 
body to its burying. Verily I say unto you, 
wheresoever this gospel shall be preached 
throughout the w T hole world, this also that she 
hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of 
her." Mark 14: 6-9. But how many of our 



132 Shall Woman Preach ? 

modern preachers have spoken of this in our 
churches. It is seldom, if ever, heard. 

It is John, the beloved disciple, 

Who tells us the story so sweet, 
Of Mary who brought the rich ointment, 

And poured it on Christ's blessed feet. 

'Tis a tender and beautiful story ; 

For she lavished her costliest treasure, 
With never a thought of reward, 

Upon Him she loved above measure. 

She knew not that in lasting remembrance 

Her name the future should hold ; 
Nor thought that in gracious memorial 

The tale of her love would be told. 

But e'en as she stood by the Master, 
And none but He thought upon her, 

The scent of her thrice precious ointment, 
Pervaded the house where they were. 

The offering she made unto Jesus, 

But all of the guests in the room 
Were told of the honor she paid Him 

By the breath of the fragrant perfume. 

And Mary in tenderness bending 

For service, her sole loving care, 
In wiping the feet of the Savior, 

Bore the odor away in her hair. 

O beautiful type of good doing, 
Sweet symbol of what they may win, 

Who give their dearest heart's treasure, 
Thinking only of Jesus therein. 

The fragrance of the offering so precious, 
Shall be known in the spice-laden air; 

And the head with oil shall be anointed, 
Though that were no part of the care. 

This feast w T as an offering by woman ; 

'Twas woman — a pious woman — who first 
Gave all her living to her Savior, 

And for you the story is rehearsed. 



Or the Question Answered, 133 

A poor widow by Christ w T as commended be- 
cause she gave her all to his cause. How few 
of the men have ever done as much! Then, O 
woman, go your way, let his work your pleasure 
be; since Jesus calls the women to himself, 
saying, "Thou art loosed from thine infirm- 
ities," they are free as was the Canaanitish 
women to present their claims before him. — 
Matt. 15: 21-28. As a Gentile this Syropheni- 
cian woman had no claim upon Christ, whom 
she addressed as the son of David. Here we 
are again taught that even Gentile women in 
Christ have a share in the blessings of his 
kingdom, and are at liberty to serve him. She 
came to him in behalf of her daughter, and at 
first "he answered her not a word;" where- 
upon "His disciples came and besought him, 
saying, Send her away," thus treating her 
with cool indifference; but he answered aud 
said, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep 
of the house of Israel." Israel was his own; 
and he was no mere wonder worker; he healed 
for something beyond and better than the re- 
storation of health and strength. That she 
might recognize him as her own, he would not, 
as the disciples suggested, abruptly send her 
away. So, bowing lowly before him, she re- 
peated her request, saying: " Lord, help me." 



134 Shall Woman Preach ? 

Whereupon he said: "It is not meet to take 
the children's bread and to cast it to dogs." 
It was as. much as to say, I am the son of 
David, I am the healer of Israel, Why should I 
help you? It is like taking bread from the 
children [Jews], and giving it to dogs [Gen- 
tiles]. And she said: "Truth, Lord: yet the 
dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their 
master's table." She was willing to trust him 
for all, or to take anything at his hand he saw 
fit to give — even as a dog willingly takes a 
crumb thrown from his master's table. Such 
faith brought the best blessing, and unlocked 
the storehouse of God : hence, Jesus said un- 
to her: "Be it unto thee even as thou wilt; 
and her daughter was healed from that very 
hour." " This was the Lord's doing, and it is 
marvelous in our eyes." 

Again, we learn that "He [Jesus] went 
throughout every city and village, preaching 
and showing the glad tidings of the kingdom 
of God; and the twelve were with him, and 
certain women, w T hich had been healed of evil 
spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, 
out of whom went seven devils, and Joanna 
the w T ife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and 
Susanna, and many others," etc. — Luke 8: 1-3. 
These, with the disciples, followed the Savior 



Or the Question Answered. 135 

while on earth ; they witnessed the miracles he 
performed, and from him they received their 
charge after his resurrection. These women 
stood near the cross after the Twelve had fled ; 
and they were present at his burial and saw 
where they laid him (Mark 15: 41, 47). They 
were the first at the sepulcher on the morning 
of the third day ; they were the first to see his 
face, and to hear his words after his passion: 
and it is no wonder that they were present at 
Mt. Olivet to partake of his parting blessing. 
They obeyed his injunction, "Tarryye in the city 
of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power 
from on high;" and they were present on the 
day of Pentecost, and received the promised 
baptism of power. From this we conclude that 
Christ conferred upon women the right to offici- 
ate in a public way in the service of God. 

Both Luke and Paul teach that it is the chief 
business of an apostle to be a witness, or to 
testify to the resurrection of Christ. AYomen 
were the first commissioned to do this. More- 
over, to them he revealed the fact of his as- 
cension, as an event of the near future, and 
bade them publish these glad tidings to the 
other disciples. They came and told the 
disciples, that they had seen the Lord, 
and that he had spoken these things unto 



136 Shall Woman Preach? 

them. We may say what we will, but it re- 
mains on record that the apostles themselves 
first heard the gospel of a risen Lord from the 
lips of women. We may call women a proph- 
etess, or not, as we like, but to her belongs the 
distinguished honor of having first proclaimed 
the principles, or very foundation facts upon 
which the Christian religion is based, and upon 
which our hope of heaven depends. 

It is an established fact that the women of 
the apostolic age did preach, and the Scrip- 
tures sustain her as a preacher, no matter what 
women-gaggers may say. These facts stub- 
bornly refuse to adjust themselves to any of 
their proposed theories. To all who have 
studied the Bible, and have had no pet theory 
to support, this truth is as clear as a sunbeam. 
Unquestionably God has .set the seal of his 
sanction upon the ministrations of women as 
religious teachers. Any attempt upon the part 
of any one to hinder her, is but the usurpation 
of authority, and without Bible proof. But 
there are some who belong to the class of 
whom it is said, "Neither will they be per- 
suaded, though one rose from the dead." But 
God is carrying on his work in spite of these 
poor, puny adversaries. "If God be for us, 
who can be against us?" 



Or the Question Answered. 137 

This forward movement of woman chal- 
lenges the admiration of the. Christian world, 
and the Church has already recognized her as 
a prophetess, with a right to teach, provided 
she will cross the ocean. That means a Chris- 
tian woman, born and reared on American 
soil, may preach Christ in India, China, or 
Japan, but not in her native land. What gross 
inconsistency ! Who can believe that this state 
of things will long exist? "Tell it not inGath, 
publish it not in the streets of Askelon ; lest 
the daughters of the Philistines rejoice; lest 
the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph." 
"For the women of my people ye have cast 
out." "O daughter of my people, gird thee 
with sackcloth. ... I have set thee for a tow- 
er, and a fortress among my people, that thou 
mayest know and try their way. ' ■ — Jer. 6 : 26, 27. 
"Who is wise, and he shall understand these 
things ? " for the wise shall understand. 

If "the wilderness and the solitary place 
shall be glad for them, and the desert shall re- 
joice and blossom as the rose;" it will be to a 
great extent through the influence of women. 
And the trend of affairs is leading to the time, 
when the proviso will be struck out, and wom- 
en will be recognized as teachers and preachers 
in our home land. He who believes that worn- 



138 Shall Woman Preach ? 

en have a right to teach in Asia, and not in 
America, can believe anything. The absurdity 
of such a position can be seen at a glance. If 
women have a right to teach and to preach in 
heathen lands, they have the same right to 
teach and to preach in their native land. And 
if they may teach and preach, they should have 
the same recognition, that men have. If she 
does the work of a minister, she ought to be 
recognized as a minister. 

We believe that women are capable of re- 
ceiving the impressions of the Holy Spirit — in 
other words, a call to the ministry. And all 
must admit that, "We ought to obey God 
rather than man." The Lord certainly under- 
stands his business, and can make known his 
will to whomsoever he pleaseth. To give a 
reason why he should not give the evidence of 
a call to the ministry to a woman, would be no 
easy undertaking. We think these evidences 
are just as conclusive and known in the same 
way, as that of regeneration. 

O great and eternal God, Father of our Lord 
Jesus Christ, Maker of heaven and earth, Crea- 
tor of all things, Preserver of men and women, 
Thou who didst vouchsafe to woman the birth 
of an only begotten Son, Thou who didst say, 
"And the Holy Ghost shall come upen thee, 



Or the Question Answered. 139 

and the power of the Highest shall overshadow 

thee," 

Come and hush the Church to rest, 

As a mother stills her child upon her breast. 

As thou didst fill with thy Spirit, Miriam, 
Deborah, Huldah, Hannah, Ruth, Esther, 
Anna, Mary, Priscilla, Phebe, and Philip's 
daughters, and other good and noble women — 
fill the hearts of the daughters of America 
with thy love, and w T ith a burning zeal for thy 
cause; that they may w r orthily perform the 
work committed to them. So shall thy name 
be glorified, our cords lengthened and our 
stakes strengthened. 

Then shall the vision of Zechariah be real- 
ized and his prophecy fulfilled: "Then lifted 
I up mine eyes, and looked, and behold there 
came out two women, and the wind was in 
their wings ; for they had wings like the wings 
of a stork : and they lifted up the ephah be- 
tween the earth and the heaven. Then said I, 
. . . . Whither do these bear the ephah? And 
he said unto me, To build it an house in the land 
of Shinar; and it shall be established, and set 
there upon her own base." — Zee. 5: 9-11. In 
this land of Shinar, which is Babylon, we find 
the cities of Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh 
(Gen. 10: 10). This is the land of idols, and 



140 Shall Woman Preach) 

of great wickedness. "Many shall run to and 
fro, and knowledge shall be increased," and 
"By his knowledge shall my righteous servant 
justify many." "He shall bring forth the 
headstone thereof with shoutings; crying, 
Grace, grace unto it." These women shall 
"build it an house in the land of Shinar." 
"Other foundation can no man lay than that 
is laid, which is Jesus Christ." Literally, these 
women have not the wings of a stork, but the 
work shall be accomplished with such rapidity 
that comparatively the work will move on as a 
stork on the wing. As a bird's wings were 
made to be used in flying, so God bestows gifts 
upon women, not to be dormant, but to be 
used in the promotion of his cause. If the 
prophecy of Zechariah is ever fulfilled, the 
women must aid in spreading the gospel; and 
if ever the idolatry of the cities of Babel, 
Erech, Accad, and Calneh, is overthrown, and 
their people christianized, it will be through 
the instrumentality of women: for this is a 
work that God says they shall do. 

"The Lord hath made room for us, and we 
shall be fruitful in the land." "And they that 
shall be of thee shall build the old waste 
places;" "for we are reconciled unto God in 
one body by the cross, having slain the enmity 



Or the Question Ansicered. 141 

thereby;" " for through him we both have ac- 
cess by one Spirit unto the Father." "There- 
fore let your feet be shod with the preparation 
of the gospel of peace;" so shall the earth 
yield her increase, and the heavens shall drop 
with blessings: and righteousness and peace 
shall kiss each other. 

"Therefore, whether it were I or they, so we 
preach, and so ye believed." " So Christ is 
preached; and therein I do rejoice, yea and 
will rejoice." " For we preach not ourselves, 
but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your 
servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who com- 
manded the Kght to shine out of darkness, hath 
shined in our hearts, to give the light of the 
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of 
Jesus Christ." The ability is of God, and we 
cannot preach ourselves. We may make an 
oration, or a flowery speech, and yet this is not 
preaching. "Without me ye can do nothing," 
is just as true with regard to preaching as to 
any other religious work, and unless the min- 
ister has been called of God, as was Aaron, and 
has received the anointing of the Spirit, he or 
she preaches himself or herself, and not Christ 
Jesus the Lord. "But we have this treasure 
[or gift] in earthen vessels, that the excel- 
lency of the power may be of God and not of 



142 Shall Woman Premh9 

us." "I certify you, brethren, that the gospel 
which was preached of me is not after man. 
For I neither received it of man, neither was I 
taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. ' ' 
Who knows for any but himself whether he 
has been taught of God? We have no right to 
judge others except as Christ said, "By their 
fruits ye shall know them." But, if we make 
this the test, then the decision is in favor of 
woman ; for many of them have gathered much 
fruit, and the souls by them led to Christ, are 
numbered already by the thousands. On the 
other hand, the test will show that some men 
have answered who were not called. God 
makes no mistakes. "Whoso readeth let him 
understand." 

"SHE HATH DOXE WHAT SHE COULD." 

Do your work and do it well ; 

Do not stop to think or tell 

That the work is small or low. 

Do your duty as you go. 

Hear your Lord and Master say: 
" Go and glean for me to-day ; 
Gather up the golden grain, 
Bring it safe to me again." 

Let the reapers far before 

Take the finest grain. There's more 

Scattered o'er the ground. There'll be 

Work enough for you and me. 

Then one day, when you shall stand 

With your sheaf at His right hand, 

Your Master will pronounce it good, 

And say, " She hath done what she could." 



B Y WIIA T A UTHOiUTY? 

o 

The Church has been brought face to face 
with this question, and it must be settled soon. 
Whatever contrariety of opinions may exist 
concerning woman's sphere, all agree as to her 
superior moral and religious status. With due 
deference to one and all, we will proceed to 
investigate this subject, hoping it will be profit- 
able to the reader, and beneficial to the world. 

1. The Presbytery has ever been considered 
able to decide, who should be received as candi- 
dates for the ministry, with a perfect right to 
license and ordain the same, when in its judg- 
ment it saw proper; no other Presbytery, not 
even the Synod, or the General Assembly, hav- 
ing any voice in the matter. Whoever heard of 
such a thing as one Presbytery asking another, 
or even asking the Synod, or the General As- 
sembly, Shall we proceed to set apart to the full 
work of the ministry, such and such a person? 
Such a question from any Presbytery, sent to 
our higher courts, would be treated with con- 
tempt, if not hooted at. 

2. Each Presbytery has a perfect right to 

adopt any rule it deems proper; or, in a word, 

concert measures that in its judgment will aid 

143 



144 Shall Woman Preach? 

in the spread of the gospel and the growth of 
the Church in its bounds. (See Confession of 
Faith, p. 87, sec. 31.) 

3. "To the Law and the Testimony." We, as 
Cumberland Presbyterians, believe that God 
has one Church, and but one. Not one in the 
prophetic age that died, or sank into oblivion, 
but one Church organized in the family of 
Abraham, and perpetuated through the " Dark 
Ages." 

So let us stick to the text. But one Church 
— the same in both the prophetic and the apos- 
tolic ages — with her ordinances of divine ap- 
pointment. Christ having abolished death, 
and having brought life and immortality to 
light through the gospel, by faith we are made 
one in him, "and are built upon the founda- 
tion of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ 
himself being the chief corner-stone ; in whom 
all the building fitly framed together groweth 
unto an holy temple in the Lord ; in whom ye 
also are builded together for an habitation of 
God through the Spirit."— Eph. 2: 20-22. 
Abraham being the father of the faithful, in 
the Church under the prophetic age there were 
two sacraments, namely: Circumcision and 
the Passover. The former pointed to "the 
circumcision made without hands ; ' the 



Or the Question Answered. 145 

washing of regeneration and the renewing of 
the Holy Ghost;" whereas, the latter pointed 
to "Christ our passover." " Purge out there- 
fore the old leaven, that ye may be a new 
lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ, 
our passover, is sacrificed for us." In the 
Church, in the apostolic age, we have the same 
truths symbolized by water baptism, and the 
sacrament of the Lord's Supper. We .have 
then, as we see, the same Church, and the 
same truths symbolized by the same ordin- 
ances. However, they are different forms of 
the same ordinances, and not new ordinances 
and a new Church. So we have one Church 
with circumcision and the passover under the 
old, and baptism and the Lord's Supper under 
the new dispensation. These are but different 
forms of one and the same sacrament. Let it 
be remembered that these are sacraments in 
the Church. 

Now the question arises, Who has a right to 
administer these sacraments? Let us turn to 
the old statute book. By reference to Ex. 4; 
25, 26, we find that a woman named Zipporah 
administered the sacrament of circumcision. 
Now let us ask, in the name of light and truth, 
if the Church is the same, has not woman a 

lawful right to administer the same sacraments 
10 • 



146 Shall Woman Preach 9 

now? If not, when and where in the law has 
it been abrogated? We find by reference to 
Judges 4: 4, A woman named Deborah, a 
prophetess, was at one time judge over Israel. 
Now, if she had no lawful right to such a re- 
sponsible position in the Church, why is it 
that God has not revealed it to us in his Word 
of truth? Nowhere can it be found in the 
Bible that any one person, much less the 
Church, made any complaint whatever. On 
the contrary, everything goes to prove that it 
was no new thing in the Church for a woman 
to sit as judge, and to look on that people 
with a prophetic eye. Truly, consistency is a 
precious jewel, and is of great worth. 

Again, Solomon said, " There is nothing 
new under the sun." We have no doubt but 
that in his day, and to him, this was true, but 
it is not true to-day with us. We have new in- 
ventions, new laws, new text books, and the 
Cumberland Presbyterian Church is not asleep 
to the surroundings. Priding herself in her 
activity, she arises, and in her strength she 
creates new boards; and without any authority 
from thje Confession of Faith, the General As- 
sembly proceeds to elect a ruling elder for 
Moderator. The presbyteries catch the spirit, 
and fall into line, and ruling elders are con- 



Or the Question Answered. 147 

sidered eligible for the Moderator's chair. 
This is all brand-new, and, to say the least of 
it, is without authority, and contrary to the 
Confession of Faith. But you say, Did it not 
become a law in our Qhurch when the General 
Assembly elected an elder as their Moderator? 
We answer, emphatically, no ; for the reason 
that the General Assembly has no power, nor 
authority to make law. It may urge, request, 
receive, and decide all appeals, references, and 
complaints, regularly brought before it from 
inferior courts. It may give advice and in- 
struction in conformity with the government 
of the Church, and in general may recommend 
to the lower courts measures for the promotion 
of charity and truth. 

As it was when our Confession of Faith was 
made and revised, even so it is now. The 
presbyteries alone have the power to make 
law. (See Confession of Faith, p. 94, sec. 43.) 
But you ask, Is it not allowable that ruling 
elders be elected as Moderators? and that, too, 
by the Confession of Faith, inasmuch as the 
same section grants the General Assembly the 
privilege of concerting measures for the pro- 
motion of charity, truth, and holiness, through- 
out all the churches under its care. We an- 
swer in the same sense, that it allows the or- 



148 Shall Woman Preach? 

dination of women to the whole work of the 
gospel ministry, and in the same sense, it al- 
lows women to partake of the Lord's Supper, 
or to go as missionaries to heathen lands. 

Again, by reference to Ex. 15: 20, 21, we 
find that Miriam, the prophetess, the sister of 
Aaron, had very important charges committed 
to her care; and there seems to have been 
considerable responsibility resting upon her, 
when she went to the lead, as the children of 
Israel journeyed from Egyptian bondage to 
the land of Canaan. As a prophetess, with a 
timbrel in her hand, she shared with Moses and 
Aaron in that great work to which God had 
called them, saying, "Bless ye God in the con- 
gregations, even the Lord, from the fountain 
of Israel (Psa. 68: 25, 26), for he hath tri- 
umphed gloriously; the horse and his rider 
hath he thrown into the sea." We find the 
position of Miriam w T as of such vast import- 
ance, that when she became affected with 
leprosy it became necessary for the children of 
Israel to camp and wait for her recovery. (See 
Num. 12: 15, 16.) After that, she was received 
again; and Israel journeyed on. She was as 
truly called to her position as a leader by God, 
as was Moses or Aaron. "And the Lord came 
down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in 



Or the Question Answered. 149 

the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron 
and Miriam, and they both came forth" (Num. 
12: 5), and received their charge. We learn 
that Aaron was faithful to discharge his duties 
as a priest. Can we not truthfully say the 
same of Miriam? She received her charge 
from the same source. God called them at one 
and the same time. "I speak as unto wise men, 
judge ye what I say." Has any one ever been 
sent forth by higher power ? As a woman, she 
was faithful to the trust committed to her, and 
though she be dead, she yet speaketh. " For I 
brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and 
redeemed thee out of the house of servants, 
and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and 
Miriam." — Mic. 6:4. In this case the ques- 
tion certainly is answered — she received her 
authority from God. 

Again, by reference to I. Sam. 2: 1-10, we 
find that a woman named Hannah spent a great 
deal of her time in prayer and supplication, 
and she tarried long in the temple, and the 
Lord opened her mouth, and loosed her tongue, 
and while rejoicing in his salvation she said, 
"There is none holy as the Lord: for there' is 
none beside thee: neither is there any rock 
like our God. The Lord killeth and maketh 
alive; he bringeth down to the grave, and 



150 Shall Woman Preach ? 

bringeth up. He will keep the feet of his 
saints, and the wicked shall be silent in dark- 
ness." If this woman did not preach a good 
sermon, it was not because she lacked for a 
text, and the reader will remember that all of 
this took place in the temple of the Lord, the 
place of worship. She there warned the people 
against talking proudly, and speaking vainly, 
giving them to understand that the living God 
was he that would weigh their actions, and 
that the adversaries of the Lord should be 
broken into pieces, "for the Lord shall judge 
the ends of the earth." Then let us give her 
the fruit of her hands, and let her own works 
praise her in the gates. For God hath said, 
"Strength and honor are her clothing; and she 
shall rejoice in time to come." — Prov. 31:25. 
Since God called these women to preach, and 
the Scriptures sanction woman as a preacher, 
it is surely displeasing to God, and even hurt- 
ful to his cause, to have her prohibited from 
proclaiming his Word. 

"The Lord God hath spoken, who can but 
prophesy?" — Amos 3:8. The gift to prophesy 
is 'from God, yet some would have us believe 
that the women have no authority to prophesy, 
or preach. Paul says, "Every man praying or 
prephesying, having his head covered, dis- 



Or the Question Answered. 151 

honoreth his head. But every woman that 
prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncov- 
ered dishonoreth her head." — I. Cor. 11: 4, 5. 
This is equivalent to saying that when women 
speak to men to edification, exhortation and 
comfort, they must have their heads covered ; 
while the men are to have their heads uncov- 
ered, or their hair shorn, or shaven. Paul 
does not even intimate that there is to be a 
distinction in their work, but only a difference 
in the dress, or cut of their hair. "Doth not 
even nature itself teach you, that, if a man 
have long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if 
a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: 
for her hair is given her for a covering." — I. 
Cor. 11: 14, 15. According, then, to Paul the 
women have as much authority as the men. 
Hence w^e conclude that men and women were 
praying and prophesying at that time, or else 
he predicts what is to come, and so gives in- 
structions as to how they shall dress. If it 
were wrong for women to pray and prophesy 
(preach), why did Paul give advice as to how 
they should appear on such occasions? If he 
had said, let them stay at home, then there 
could have been no room for doubt as to what 
he meant. It would have been just as easy to 
say, I forbid the women to pray and to proph- 



152 Shall Woman Preach ? 

esy, as to have said, when they pray and proph- 
esy let them have their heads covered. But he 
would have her, instead of being masculine in 
appearance, cultivate the gentler graces; that 
her adorning be that of a meek and quiet spirit, 
and her "behavior as becometh holiness; not 
false accusers, not given to much wine, teach- 
ers of good things." — Tit. 2: 3. We want to 
emphasize these last words, "teachers of good 
things." Who will dare, in the face of Paul, 
to say she shall not teach? Just as well say 
she shall drink wine, or be a false accuser. 
Who will have the audacity to contradict Paul's 
word? Who will draw the line, and say she 
may come thus far and no farther? Paul put 
no limit to her teaching. He did not say she 
may teach her children at home, or a small 
class at Sunday-school, and then she shall stop. 
Christ said, "Go teach all nations." Paul said, 
let the women be "teachers of good things." 
I am sure the men have no higher authority. 

Again, Paul admonishes the church at Cor- 
inth, saying: "Follow after charity, and de- 
sire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may 
prophesy." — I. Cor. 14: 1. Now, if there were 
no women in that church, and Paul was writing 
to a church of men only, or if he did not in- 
clude the women, then it follows that women 



Or the Question Answered. 153 

are not even to seek after, or follow after 
charity. And if she is to follow after charity, 
then she may, by the authority of Paul, "desire 
spiritual gifts, but rather that she may proph- 
esy." So we may all "covet earnestly the 
best gifts," but rather that we may prophesy 
(preach). The number of God's prophets and 
prophetesses is great. The prophetic function 
was never a new thing to the Hebrew mind, 
nor indeed to any people, even outside the 
sphere of biblical revelation. Heathendom has 
ever abounded in men and women who have 
been recognized as prophets, and we find those 
who filled the prophetic function, both men 
and women, even in the sphere of revelation, 
and that, too, from the beginning. Either 
Adam or his wife did prophesy, and perhaps 
both of them. The probabilities are that Eve 
was the first prophetess, as unto her the 
promise was made. She certainly understood 
that in some way, through the promised seed, 
they were to regain communion with God, 
that is, what they had lost in the fall. This 
fact was typified in the shedding of the first 
blood, when God made coats of skin and clothed 
them (see Gen. 3: 21). We presume that he 
clothed the woman as well as the man. It is 
more than probable, God having made the 



154 Shall Woman Preach^ 

promise to the woman, that she spoke often of 
it, and very soon made it known to her chil- 
dren; for she doubtless accepted from God 
the information concerning future redemp- 
tion through the coming Messiah. 

Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Jacob, were 
prophets of God ; and Moses also was a prophet, 
as well as a leader of the people. But they 
were no more so than were Miriam, Huldah, 
Hannah, Anna, and others who served the 
Church in their God-given places. To the 
prophets belonged, to a greater or less extent, 
the office of teaching and governing the peo- 
ple, both in spiritual and temporal things. 
The Priesthood, on account of corrupt prac- 
tices and neglect of duty, was reduced to a low 
condition, and the people sank with it. Then 
was Samuel, whose mother was a prophetess, 
raised up, and he established the prophetic 
order, on account of which he came to be re- 
garded as the first of the prophets (see I. Sam. 
1, 2 chs). But this does not change the fact 
that Moses, Aaron, Miriam, and others, were 
prophets, and were called of God. The proph- 
ets were not only a powerful, but a numerous 
class. We learn that Obadiah concealed one 
hundred at one time from the wrath of Jezebel, 
an unknown number having already been cut 



Or the Question Answered. 155 

off by her. Ahab, king of Israel, at one time 
gathered together four hundred prophets of 
the Lord, and but a very small number of 
them wrote anything; while the majority of 
them, like Elijah and Elisha, Aaron and Mi- 
riam, wrote nothing. No one believes that 
the ministry of these prophets was a failure 
and without authority; neither do we believe 
it died when they died. 

The office of prophet was not that of simply 
foretelling future events: indeed, this was but 
a part of the prophetic office. A prophet was 
one, whether man or woman, who spoke for 
another, as his authorized agent or represent- 
ative, a certain prescribed message. In other 
words, the office of a prophet was to make 
known to man God's revealed will concerning 
him; to make ready a people for the reception 
of the coming Messiah ; to promote and unfold 
the ways of the kingdom of God ; to warn the 
people of coming judgments; to speak to men 
to edification, exhortation and comfort. The 
saying of the apostle reminds us that these 
things were written for our sakes." All Scrip- 
ture is given by inspiration of God, and is 
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for cor- 
rection, for instruction in righteousness." That 
these prophets looked backward and forward, 



156 Shall Woman Preach ? - 

and were no less preachers that prophets is 
evident. His words had a present meaning 
and taught then a lesson to those who heard, 
as they also have a lesson for us who come af- 
ter — they influence those of our day, and shall 
influence the future generations. "And these 
things were not written for their sakes alone, 
but for ours also." In like manner the preach- 
ers of to-day are influencing those around 
them, and, to a greater or less degree, the 
future, or rising generation. 

Anna was as truly a prophet, or preacher, as 
was Simeon, and she "departed not from the 
temple, but served God with fasting and pray- 
ers night and day — and spake of him to all of 
them that looked for redemption in Jeru- 
salem."— Luke 2: 37, 38. She being one of 
God's prophets, she was his recognized agent 
to bear his message to man. Are we not, as 
followers of Christ, under obligation to recog- 
nize those whom he recognizes? Then there 
were Priscilla and Aquila, born in Pontus 
(Acts 18: 2, 26) who were among God's proph- 
ets, and at whose feet Apollos, being an elo- 
quent man, sat down for instruction, and they 
taught him " the way of God more perfectly." 
So here is a woman who taught a man. Be- 
sides these, Philip, the evangelist, "had four 



Or the Question Answered. 157 

daughters, virgins, which did prophesy," or 
preach. 

God has declared that he has "appointed 
prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, say- 
ing, there is a king in Judah : and now shall it 
be reported to the king according to these 
words. Come now, therefore, and let us take 
counsel together." — Neh. 6: 7. The preaching 
of these prophets that God has appointed is to 
be about Him, who is " God manifest in the 
flesh" — about Jesus. One of God's appointed 
prophets was Anna; she preached in the tem- 
ple at Jerusalem about Jesus, and proclaimed 
redemption through his name. On the day of 
Pentecost the prophets whom God had ap- 
pointed, both men and women, preached 
through Him remission of sin. From Jeru- 
salem they were to go into Judea, then into 
Samaria, and thence "unto the uttermost parts 
of the earth." The command was, "As ye go, 
preach," and there is no intimation that the 
women were to be excluded on leaving Jeru- 
salem. These prophets had a message from 
God to deliver wherever they went — they were 
to tell the same story. 

Paul says, "He that prophesieth, speaketh 
unto men to edification, exhortation, and com- 
fort;" and again, "He that prophesieth edi- 



158 Shall Woman Preach? 

fieth the Church." Now, take "edification, 
exhortation and comfort" out of the gospel, 
or the story of the cross, ^nd what have you 
left? Nothing, absolutely nothing; for these 
three elements combined make up the gospel ; 
they are indeed the very heart or core of the 
gospel. To prophesy, or speak unto men "to 
edification , exhortation and comfort, ' ' is all that 
any man can do, no matter how eloquent or 
how learned he may be. This includes all the 
elements of preaching, and it is a great deal 
more than many men, to have been ordained to 
the ministry, have ever been able to do. It is 
an admitted fact, that many of them fall far 
below the standard here set forth. They do 
not edify, they do not comfort, and most they 
can do is to get up a wrangle. Yet these men 
are allowed to sit in judgment on women, who, 
it is admitted, can preach or speak to edifica- 
tion. Is it not true that a sermon without 
"edification, exhortation and comfort" is 
worthless? It does not contain the power of 
God, and is as lifeless as a corpse in the ani- 
mal world. Then, according to Paul, the four 
daughters of Philip spoke to "edification and 
comfort," and Paul in his travels made Philip's 
house his resting-place. It is really astonish- 
ing, if it were wrong for women to preach, 



Or the Question Answered. 159 

that he did not reprove them for such conduct. 
We might suppose they were excusable on the 
ground that they had no husbands, and conse- 
quently no other way of gaining information; 
but then they were prophesying (teaching), in- 
stead of wanting to know anything. 

So we find in both the Old and the New 
Testaments' times, that men and women pro- 
phesied, spoke to the people, as the call of 
God and the occasion required. God saw fit 
in his wisdom to use women as judges, as lead- 
ers, as prophets, and as teachers under "the 
Law." Where is the authority for taking 
those privileges from them under the Gospel?" 
It has been the prevailing opinion that under 
the New Testament dispensation, their privi- 
leges have been enlarged, and their liberties 
increased. Why this should not be, and why 
they should not preach, is a thought difficult 
of conception. It is true that Miriam was not 
admitted to the priesthood (neither were 
Moses and Joshua allowed to offer sacrifices), 
but that she was recognized a leader by Israel, 
cannot be denied. And no one doubts but 
that she was faithful in the performance of 
her duties, and in the work God assigned her. 
Deborah was called of God to be Israel's fourth 
judge; her song of praise is still ringing in our 



160 Shall Woman Preach f 

ears ; it ranks with that of Moses and Miriam ; 
she should be held up before the eyes of the 
world, and especially of all Bible readers. 
Surely no one would strike the record of this 
great woman from the sacred canon. 

Huldah was chosen of God to adorn the 
sacred record, and to expound the law. In 
fact the whole tenor of the Scriptures proves 
that it was nothing unusual for a woman to 
teach the people, and there is not a single 
word of reproof or prohibition in the Old 
Testament Scriptures against woman's preach- 
ing. So, whatever may be said against her 
now, it is certain that she did preach and 
teach under the Law, and even administered 
the sacrament of Circumcision. 

Christ said as much to the women as to the 
men : "And ye shall be witnesses unto me both 
in Jerusalem, and in Judea, and in Samaria, 
and unto the uttermost parts of the earth." 
In one instance the Savior compelled a woman 
to testify, and that, too, in the presence of a 
large audience. — Matt. 9: 18, 26. The first in- 
struction in regard to the evangelizing of the 
world was not given to the apostles alone, or, 
if so, some of them were women, because they 
received the promise of the Holy Ghost as well 
as the men, and when that promise was ful- 



Or the Question Ansioered. 161 

filled they, too, "were filled with the Holy 

Ghost and began to speak with other tongues, 

as the Spirit gave them utterance." The men 

on that occasion did not make complaint as 

some of our modern preachers do. Jews were 

present from all parts of the inhabited world, 

and if it were not customary for women to 

preach, it does seem strange that they allowed 

it on this occasion. If it were wrong under 

the Jewish law, strange indeed that no rebuke 

was given. If the authorities had silenced 

them then, they would certainly be silenced 

now and forever by that same authority. 

It may be that some of those women were 

numbered with the apostles, since Paul in after 

days referred to certain women who were of 

note among the apostles (see Rom. 16 ch). 

Paul, writing to the church at Rome, says: 

" Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, 

and my fellow-prisoners, who are of note 

among the apostles, who also were in Christ 

before me." This woman (Junia) was either 

a noted apostle, or was noted for her success 

in preaching and laboring with and among the 

apostles, and her work in the ministry was 

certainly sanctioned by Paul and the other 

apostles. Let the reader take whichever horn 

of the dilemma he will, and he admits that this 
11 



i62 Shall Woman Preach ? 

woman labored in the gospel. It is evident 
that whatever laboring in the gospel means as 
applied to men, it means the same to women, 
and whatever apostleship means, it is the same 
in man and woman. Paul labored, and the 
women labored, in the gospel ; the language is 
the same : "And I entreat thee also, true yoke- 
fellow, to help those women which labored 
with me in the gospel.'' — Phil. 4: 3. We know 
that many persons have tried hard to prove 
that these women did not preach, but that 
they were deaconesses, and had the care of the 
poor, acting as sextons of the churches, and 
looking after the temporal or financial affairs 
of the churches; but to one who studies the 
language, these sayings will have no weight. 
Paul calls these women his fellow-laborers, 
helpers, and they, were evidently engaged in 
the same kind of work as he. If he preached, 
they preached; if he did the church scrubbing, 
they were helping him. But if they were visit- 
ing the sick, scrubbing and cleaning churches, 
it could not be said they were laboring in the 
gospel. No more so than it can be said of a 
man who is plowing and sowing and cultivating 
the soil. A number of preachers and pastors 
do not confine their labors to the preaching of 
the gospel, but in addition to this they practice 



Or the Question Answered. 163 

medicine, or cultivate a farm, or are engaged 
in other employments. When they are thus 
engaged, are they laboring in the gospel? Who 
will say, yes. When women are papering and 
carpeting churches, or polishing stoves, or do- 
ing the church cleaning, are they laboring in 
the gospel? If so, then some very wicked and 
profane men are our most efficient workers. 

" Study to show thyself approved unto God ; 
a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, 
rightly dividing the Word of truth." "Salute 
Tryphena andTryphosa, who labor in the Lord. 
Salute the beloved Persis, which labored much 
in the Lord." It seems that these holy women 
were Paul's assistants in the ministry, and 
Persis seems to have excelled Tryphena and 
and Tryphosa, for Paul says she "labored 
much in the Lord." "Greet Priscilla and 
Aquila, my helpers in Christ Jesus ; who have 
for my life laid down their own necks ; unto 
whom not only I give thanks, but also all 
the churches of the Gentiles." The reader will 
notice that Priscilla's name is called before that 
of her husband, presumably because she was 
the chief minister; and we learn also that there 
was a church in their house; of which church 
it is more than likely she had charge. — Rom. 
6: 3, 4, 5. "Greet Mary, who bestowed much 



164 Shall Woman Preach ? 

labor on us" (another woman who bestowed 
much labor). " Salute Philologus and Julia, 
Nereus, and his sister" (ver. 15). I commend 
unto you Phebe, our sister, which is a servant 
of the church which is at Cenchrea; that ye 
receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, 
and that ye assist her in whatsoever business 
she hath need of you : for she hath been a suc- 
courer of many, and of myself also." — Rom. 16 : 
1,2. Here it seems that Phebe was sent on bus- 
iness as a servant of the church, from Cenchrea 
to the church at Rome. Of course Paul would 
not have recommended her if this had been un- 
lawful work for a woman. She certainly went 
as an officer of the church with the authority 
to transact business, and by her Paul sent his 
letter to the church at Rome. 

God says, "Touch not my anointed and do 
my prophets no harm." Surely the tide is upon 
us, seeing that God had so great an army of 
women, who by his authority proclaimed his 
truth, came at his calling, and went at his 
bidding. And, according to Paul, thay have a 
perfect right to assist in the transaction of 
business. Clothed with official authority, Phebe 
visited the church at Rome under the sanction 
of the apostle, who instructed the church to ren- 
der her all the assistance she needed. The busi- 



Or the Question Answered. 165 

ness committed to her was certainly the work of 
the Lord, and of course she could not make it 
known unless she had a right to speak in the 
church, else such business would not have 
been intrusted to her. Strange that the apos- 
tle should instruct them to assist her in this 
business, if it were a shame for a woman to 
speak in the church — since it is a fact that 
they must hear her (for she must deliver her 
message before they could possibly under- 
stand the nature of that business) in order to 
give the assistance needed. The conclusion is, 
that when Phebe visited the church at Rome 
that she went as a legally authorized delegate 
or commissioner, to counsel with that body on 
matters pertaining to the interest of the church. 
We, as Cumberland Presbyterians, have a form 
of commission, and it is similar to that used 
by the apostle in the case of Phebe (see Con- 
fession of Faith, 133, sees. 10, 11). And now 
"I [Paul] commend unto you Phebe [Smith, 
Jones, or Henry], which is a servant [pastor] 
of the church at Cenchrea [Denver] ; that ye 
receive her [him] in the Lord as becometh 
saints, and that ye assist her [him] in whatso- 
ever business she [he] hath need of you." 
That is, that you give her [him] a place or seat 
or a voice in the council or Assembly. Given 



166 Shall Woman Preach? 

by order of the church at Cenchrea, and sign- 
ed by Paul, A. D. 60. "What I have written, 
I have written." 



DEBORAH. 



A stately woman, firm and strong, was Deborah ; 
She ruled with wisdom and gave the law. 
When Jabin's army was all in array, 
She went forth to battle without dismay. 

And there followed in her train 

A troop of well-armed men. 

Her brave heart was filled with grace 

And heavenly beauty lit her face. 

By this, she said, " I am what I am," 
'Tis God who calls me here to stand ; 
And if I would be faithful to my trust, 
Meet the enemy I must. 

While brooding o'er the cruel wrong, 
The enemy's tramping steed did run. 
And a gloom o'erspread the sky, 
While all that night the wind blew high. 

In the morning gray a voice rang loud and clear, 
" Up, up ;" for God hath said " you need not fear." 
This is the day that God hath blessed; 
And to-morrow we shall have rest. 

For earth's deepest wound which we may feel, 
There is the balm of Gilead to heal; 
Even poisoned weapons cannot harm, 
They are powerless 'gainst his mighty arm. 

They can wound, but cannot kill ; 

And they whose darts pursue us still 

To slay us, shall perish in their short day ; 

And " into smoke shall they consume away." 

167 



168 Shall Woman Preach? 



They may think to strike us dead, 
But the waves shall ne'er go over our heads. 
The strongest bonds Christ soon will break ; 
With power the prison soon shall shake. 

Our limbs with chains shall not long be bound. 
The strongest, fastest chain will not long remain 
These, like the enemy before Deborah, shall fall, 
And Christ shall rule and reign over all. 

Then, in a calmer, clearer day, 

When the mists have cleared away, 

The banner of peace shall triumphantly wave 

"O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave. 



THE OUTLOOK— WOMAN'S PROS- 
PECTS BRIGHTENING. 



As the days in their flight pass into the 
realm of the yesterdays never to return, their 
duties and issues pass with them, and the to- 
morrows become to-days, bringing new duties, 
new opportunities, and new questions to en- 
gage the thoughts and energies of men and 
women. Frequently do we find the stream of 
the events of to-day colored and tinctured with 
the live issues of yesterday ; because no great 
thinkers live, whose spirits are imbued with 
the zeal and the energy of conviction, princi- 
ple and passion, to enable them to face the 
issues of to-day, as truth and progress demand 
that they should be met. In every science of 
a prosperous nation's education, there is con- 
tinually being revealed a lack of method. Old 
principles will not answer in solving the prob- 
lems of progress. Old rules must be supple- 
mented with new. Yesterday's w r ants were 
supplied, or satisfied, with things insufficient 
for the requirements of to-day. Past blessings 
fail to satisfy the needs of the present. 

169 



170 Shall Woman Preach? 

Look where we may, and we see these facts 
manifested, and the word change, change, 
change, written upon every tablet carved by 
the hand of God, or wrought out by the skill 
of man. Many and wonderful changes have 
taken place in the last century. It has not 
been long since the common school teacher 
was measured by his ability to use the switch. 
If he could "read, write, and cipher" a little, 
and had a good strong arm, and a voice that 
implied a will to use that arm — that was suf- 
ficient. Literature, art, and science were un- 
dreamed-of luxuries, fit only for the student of 
wealth and leisure. Then the school-room was 
locked and barred against woman as a teacher, 
and almost as a pupil. It was not thought 
advisable that she should be taught even to 
write, for fear she might do something that 
would detract from her high calling as daugh- 
ter, wife or mother. This absurd idea is fast 
vanishing away, and to-day woman stands 
man's equal, if not his superior, as an educa- 
tor; and she is not inferior to him in many 
other avocations of life. She has surmounted 
already many of the difficulties thrown around 
her, and has shown to the world her ability to 
perform well whatever she undertakes. But 
even now she is sometimes brusquely informed, 



Or the Question Answered, 171 

"We prefer a man teacher. We don't think 
a woman can control our school." That such 
is the case, we all know, and it is but the re- 
sult of old-fogyism. 

The women of to-day, with all their ad- 
vancements, have much to do in order to 
establish their capacity to work on an equal 
plane with the man, and still to maintain with 
gentle dignity the bright lustre of their true 
womanly nature. It only remains for woman to 
take hold boldly of the rights of progress, and 
to guide her destiny to the highest plane of 
success. This she may do, if she chooses. To 
accomplish this, it is not enough to be a lady, 
merely because birth or education has made 
her nominally one. There is a work for every 
one to do ; and to establish her true dignity and 
worth, woman must have some noble purpose 
in life, and work for its attainment. Labor de- 
velops true manhood and womanhood, and 
there is no true dignity without it. The secret 
of success lies in doing well the little things of 
life. When these are done, the requirements 
of to-day are well and nobly met, and we are 
thereby prepared for the doingof greater things. 

That the reader may form some idea of the 
progress that Christianity is making, and of the 
great change that has taken place in the last 



172 Shall Woman Preach? 

half century, we will remind him, that it has 
not been fifty years since the first woman was 
ordained on American soil, and that now there 
are nearly eight hundred in the work. The 
first woman ever ordained in America was Miss 
Antoinette Brown Blackwell. She was born 
in Henrietta County, N. Y., May 20, 1825, and 
was ordained Sept. 15, 1853. Now, many 
women are preparing themselves for the gospel 
ministry. Thirty-four were in attendance 
the first term of Mr. Moody's training-school 
at Northfield, Mass. This school aims to 
thoroughly equip for active Christian work. 

The high rank which woman has taken in all 
lands and countries, is due to Christianity. As 
the nations of the earth have become enlight- 
ened, she has been admitted to many callings in 
life which were once closed against her. That 
we may see how well she has filled her place in 
various positions of trust and duty, we here 
introduce some examples : 

Fifteen young Hindoo ladies have been ad- 
mitted to the new female class of the Campbell 
Medical Schools of Calcutta, and two hundred 
girls are now being educated in the medical 
schools of India ; and Madras has already sup- 
plied six fully qualified female doctors for the 
northern part of that country. 



Or the Question Answered. 173 

Miss Catherine T. Simonds has been teach- 
ing with great success for fifty years in the 
Franklin School at Boston. 

Maria Mitchell, the celebrated professor of 
• Astronomy at Vassar College, has discovered 
eight comets. She has received the degree of 
LL.D. from three different institutions. 

There are one hundred and ninety-six women 
operators in the great operating room of the 
Western Union Telegraph Company in New 
York. In this room a husband and a wife are 
working side by side. They are perfectly 
matched in skill, but the man gets $15.00 a 
month more than the woman. Why the dif- 
ference? 

Women have recently been admitted into 
Greenwich Observatory, and four have joined 
the staff of the Astronomer Royal. Their 
duties will require attendance at all hours of 
the night. 

Chicago has recently appointed five women 
as health inspectors, viz.: Mrs. Byford Leon- 
ard, Mrs. Clara M. Doolittle, Mrs. Marie 
Owens, Mrs. Mary Glennon and Dr. Rachel 
Hickey. The salary is one thousand dollars 
each per annum. These women are clothed 
with police power, and have already accom- 
plished great good in the remedying of abuses. 



174 Shall Woman Preach § 

Miss Marietta Holley, known as "Josiah 
Allen's Wife/ ' has made herself famous and 
rich with her pen. 

It is said that Miss Isabel Hapgood, the 
translator of Tolstoi's writings, acquired her 
knowledge of Russian from a New Testament 
and a dictionary written in this language. She 
is now in Russia, gaining a conversational 
knowledge of this language. 

Miss Melinda Rankin, who was a pioneer 
Protestant missionary to Mexico, died a few 
months ago at Bloomington, Ills. At the close 
of the Mexican War, she was teaching school 
in Mississippi, and her interest in the religious 
condition of Mexico was aroused by the re- 
ports of the soldiers, who returned from that 
war, concerning the semi-paganism of the 
Romish Church in that country. She went to 
Texas as a teacher in 1847; and in the spring of 
1852 she started a school for Mexican children 
at Brownsville, Texas. Bibles were carried 
over the Rio Grande by the children from this 
school, and thus a beginning was made in the 
evangelization of Mexico. At the close of the 
Civil War, she entered Mexico as a missionary 
under the auspices of the American and 
Foreign Christian Union. She often endured 
great hardships and many trials, and her mis- 



Or the Question Answered. 175 

sionary career is one of the most remarkable 
of modern times; yet she lived to be more 
than fourscore years old. 

Very recently Miss Lucia Kimball resigned 
as teacher in the Chicago Public schools, be- 
cause she was not allowed to read the Bible to 
her pupils. Since that time she has become 
the organizer of the W. C. T. U. Sunday- 
school department. 

Miss FrederikaNeilson, a gifted Norwegian 
actress, determined soon after her conversion 
to devote her gifts to evangelistic work. She 
is said to be a great revivalist. America needs . 
some more such changes as that. 

Mrs. General Booth, of the Salvation Army, 
was often spoken of as the best preacher in 
England, and it is said that at her funeral 
thirty thousand people knelt in the greatest 
auditorium of the world, in London. 

Mrs. Garrett Anderson, the leading physi- 
cian in England, makes an income of fifty 
thousand dollars a year. 

The right of women to practice medicine in 
Canada, has been established by the successful 
application of Miss Mitchell (a graduate of 
Queen's University, Kingston), for license. 
The Provincial Medical Board of Quebec 
granted the license. 



176 Shall Woman Preach 9 

Two ladies have been elected as principals in 
the public schools of Dayton, O. 

Two of the most successful college presi- 
dents in Kentucky are women, viz. : Miss 
Lottie A. Campbell, of Caldwell College, near 
Danville, and Miss A. M. Hicks, of Clinton 
College. 

The youngest daughter of Mr. Gladstone is 
principal of a college for young women, near 
Cambridge, Eng. 

The presidency of Wellesley College has 
been offered to Miss Margaret Evans, of Carle- 
ton College, Northfield, Minn., at a salary of 
five thousand dollars per annum. 

The Methodists have lately founded a col- 
lege for women at North Baltimore, Md. And 
a training school for deaconesses has just been 
opened by the Episcopalian Church in New 
York. Others in Philadelphia, Cleveland and 
Richmond will follow. 

The first building of a Female College at 
Huutsville, Ala., to be maintained by the Bap- 
tists, will be opened Sep.l, 1891. The building 
will cost fifty thousand dollars. So we see the 
various denominations are making preparation 
to train their women for public work. 

It is said that the largest type-writing busi- 
ness in the country is run by a woman — Miss 



Or the Question Answered. 177 

Mary F. Seymour. She also runs a school of 
stenography and type writing, which school 
has turned out many hundred graduates, 

Mrs. Georgia A. Peck is the managing edi- 
tor of the Boston Commonivealth, and she is 
the only woman in New England holding a 
similar position. 

Women are State librarians of Indiana, 
Kentucky, Michigan, Louisiana, Mississippi, 
and Tennessee. 

Miss Mamie Davis, a telegraph operator at 
Jacksonville, Fla., staid at her post all through 
the yellow fever epidemic. Brave and true 
woman ! 

Miss Olive Buchanan, of St. Louis, is the 
first woman to hold the office of United States 
Deputy Marshal. 

Mrs. Charlotte M. Yonge, now in her sixty- 
seventh year, is busy upon her one hundredth 
and first book, which is a story of the time of 
Vespasian. 

Mrs. Mary A. Livermore recently preached 
two successive Sundays at the Universalist 
Church in Washington. 

Kansas has eighty-one women who are effici- 
ent superintendents of public schools; and 
there are now 14,365 women commercial trave- 
lers in the United States. 
12 



178 Shall Woman Preachf 

Mrs. Douglas, of Atlanta, is the only woman 
lawyer in Georgia. 

Only a short time ago the Iowa Senate was 
opened with prayer by a woman. It is sup- 
posed to be the first time this was ever done. 

There are now about four thousand women 
employed by the Government at Washington. 

Miss Susanna Dunkle, of Newton, Mass., has 
been treasurer of the United States Bank for 
fifteen years, and handles about five hundred 
thousand dollars a year. 

One of the mostofficient postmasters in the 
country is Mrs. Thompson. She held her po- 
sition at Louisville, Ky., for thirteen years, at 
a salary of four thousand dollars per annum. 

Mrs. Frances Hodgson Burnett receives $7,- 
500 a year, for editing a children's department 
for an English-American newspaper syndicate. 

Three young women have been licensed as 
deaconesses in Chicago, under the provisions 
made for this purpose by the General Confer- 
ence of the Methodist Church. Bishop Bow- 
man conducted the consecration service, which 
had been carefully prepared. It included a 
form of prayer recorded in the "Apostolic 
Constitutions." 

The Woman's Missionary Society of the 
Methodist Protestant Church collected last 



Or the Question Answered. 179 

year $4,166.77; and the money given by the 
women of the Presbyterian Church in the 
United States, for the past sixteen years, 
amounts to $2,150,000. This represents the en- 
tire support of more than two hundred women 
missionaries; two hundred native Bible-read- 
ers; and more than one hundred and fifty 
schools. Who would hinder such a work? 

The Methodist Church has 15,000 women 
missionaries at work. Their Women's Mis- 
sionary Societies, which number 320,000 mem- 
bers, have raised $2,520,000. In the 26,000 
Sunday-schools and the 22,361 churches of this 
denomination, a large majority of the workers 
and members are women. " Speaking of the 
vote in the Methodist Episcopal Church on the 
question of the admission of women as mem- 
bers of the General Conference, the Congre- 
gationalist gives this item of information 
about the usage of the Congregational church- 
es: 'In our denomination this question is not 
likely, if raised, to call forth much discussion. 
For several years, many of our State bodies 
have included women delegates, and these in 
some cases' have been in the majority. Wo- 
men's meetings are a prominent feature of 
some of the State Associations, and in more 
than one State it is the custom to include them 



180 Shall Woman Preach 9 

as parts of the Association programme. So 
far, however, State bodies have not, we be- 
lieve, sent women as delegates to the National 
Council.'' Women outnumber men in all our 
Protestant churches, and few of us will say, 
that they are inferior to men in piety, or good 
sense, or loyalty and devotion to the cause. It 
is harder to give a valid or scriptural reason 
for excluding them from the councils of the 
Church, than many wise and good men think." 

It is really true that about three-fourths of 
the Christian world are women. 

The Rev. Mary C. Jones has had charge of 
the Church at Spokane Falls, Wash., for two 
years. She was ordained, without a dissent- 
ing voice, in 1882, by the first Baptist Church 
of Seattle, sitting in council with six or seven 
ministers, who were in attendance upon the 
Baptist Association of Paget Sound and 
British Columbia. So the Baptists have a wo- 
man preacher, and they have even ordained her. 

The Universalist Church has forty ordained 
women preachers, and there is now in the coun- 
try forty-eight National societies of women, 
with a direct membership of over 500,000. 
The largest is the Woman's Christian Union, 
with a membership of 210,000. Then follow 
the Missionary, Peace, Suffrage, Philanthrop- 



Or the Question Answered. 181 

pic, and Educational organizations. Twelve 
of these have joined the National Council, 
formed to unite all the women's societies into 
one great league. Now a half million of women 
are banded together for the accomplishment 
of good. There are 200,000 women in the W. 
C. T. U.; 135,000 in the King's Daughters; 
100,000 in the Women's Relief Corps; and 35,- 
000 in the Eastern Star. 

These women are proving themselves men's 
equals, and they are laboring to rise to higher 
attainments. As editors, authors, inventors, 
lawyers, physicians, architects, astronomers, 
teachers, officers, and preachers, they have al- 
ready attracted the attention of the world, and 
have proved their ability to perform well their 
parts in life's great drama. 

When we consider the great progress that 
woman has made, and when we draw the con- 
trast between women of fifty years ago and 
women of to-day, we are forced to the conclu- 
sion that the foregoing means something; and 
that women are fast realizing the fact that a large 
field is opening to them. It is to be hoped that 
she w r ill cultivate it well ; that she will leave 
no stone unturned. Prophesying daughters will 
yet be the crowning glory of the Church and 
of the dispensation ushered in at Pentecost. 



182 Shall Woman Preach ? 

We will now take the boldness of Deborah, 
God's mouth-piece and commander-in-chief, 
who lead the army of Israel to battle, and to 
whom God gave the victory; and Miriam, the 
faithful and called of God ; and Huldah, the 
expounder of the law, who for wisdom, at that 
time, could not be excelled; and the adoration 
and thanksgiving of Hannah; and the inter- 
cession of Esther; and the piety of Ruth; — and 
with all these graces blended the Church shall 
be united, and the world shall be girdled. 
Then let us take the faith of the Syropheni- 
cian woman; the aptness of the woman of Sa- 
maria; the humility of Mary; the office of 
Phebe ; the zeal of Priscilla ; the gift of Philip's 
four daughters; the spirit of the woman who 
gave her two mites; the devotion of the wo- 
man that anointed the Savior's feet; the po- 
sition of the women who labored with Paul in 
the gospel; — by the union of these excellences 
of character, the world shall be filled with 
gladness, and heaven with music. 

In order to realize the progress that is being 
made, and to comprehend what the future has 
in store for us, it now becomes necessary to 
give a glance at the past, by considering the 
position of women but a few years ago. It is 
a well-known fact that she had but few privi- 



Or the Question Answered. 183 

leges. Our own mothers tell us that they can 
remember the first time they ever heard a wo- 
man pray in public. But a few years ago, 
there was no such thing as a woman's prayer- 
meeting; our Woman's Board was a thing un- 
heard of; the Woman's Temperance Associa- 
tion would have been a fright to some of our 
grandmothers; our missionary societies were 
not even dreamed of; and then woman as a 
teacher to the foreign lands would have been 
deemed a monster. Women were not con- 
sidered competent to teach school; they were 
not even allowed the benefit of a first-class 
education ; and they were not thought of as 
preachers. We can scarcely realize the rapid- 
ity of the change ; but he who does not see it 
is blind to the surroundings. We are not living 
in the days of flax-breaks, wooden plows and 
harrows; we are moving forward, onward, and 
upward. This is an age of progress and im- 
provement, and as Christianity leavens the 
masses, woman is being elevated; her privi- 
leges are being increased, and her opportunities 
enlarged. " Time and tide wait for no man." 
It is but a step from the past to the present, 
— and oh, what a contrast! 

Thousands of women are on the stage of 
action, and they rank, morally and intellect- 



184 Shall Woman Preach? 

ually with our best and noblest men. High 
schools and colleges in all parts of the country 
are open to them to-day. We find them in 
almost every calling of life, and they act well 
their part. Some of them are numbered 
among our best mathematicians, physicians, 
and public speakers ; and yet they have not at- 
tained to all there is in store for them. Many 
doors of usefulness are open to them, and their 
facilities are greater now than they have ever 
been in the history of our Nation. She that 
wills may rise to eminence and true greatness. 
It is true that the currents of to-day, on which 
woman's bark is buoyantly floating, are tinged 
with yesterday's scum; but the swell of the 
rising tide of truth and right, is fast lashing 
the debris of f ogyism away, and at the ebb of 
the tide her banner will triumphantly wave 
" over the land of the free and the home of 
the brave." 

The Church is moving forward, and Christi- 
anity is on her march, and nothing can stop 
her. The blessings that she has bestowed 
upon womanhood, shall yet be owned by the 
world and enjoyed by all nations. The senti- 
nels on the walls of Zion are fast awaking 
from their slumbers, to hear the salutation, 
" Watchman, what of the night?" Woman, 



Or the Question Answered. 185 

standing on the ground she has won, is ready 
to shout victory, as the watchman replies, 
44 The morning cometh." The gospel banner 
is unfurled, and is waving gloriously in the 
breeze; and who knows but this is the dawn- 
ing of the morn, when the Church shall come 
forth "prepared as a bride adorned for her hus- 
band," shining as the sun inhis strength? Me- 
thinks the Church above, in applause, are now 
ready to strike their golden lyres, while victory 
shall flash along our lines, and souls led by the 
thousands to Christ (whether led by men or 
women), shall crowd Zion's gates. They will 
send a pulsation of thrilling joy through the 
highest heavens, which, reverberating from all 
sides of the throne in the temple eternal, shall 
ring out loud and clear. Rising and swelling 
anthems of praise shall reach to creation's 
farthest bounds, and all the inhabitants of the 
Holy City shall catch the hallowed flame, and 
prolong the joyful strain. Without one dis- 
cordant note, the harmonious music shall rise 
in softer, sweeter, grander strains, until 
1 heaven's high arches shall ring, and all the 
world shall be filled with one blessed jubilee. 
Then let gratitude fill every heart, and love en- 
gross all our powers, for the prospect of a 
glorious future. 



186 Shall Woman Preach ? 

After a fair investigation of this subject, 
we arrive at the conclusion, that great moral 
revolutions are shortly to transpire, and that 
good men and women will soon stand side by 
side in the defense of the gospel, and of every- 
thing that is pure-, good, and holy. The walls 
that divide Christian men and women in their 
work will soon crumble into dust; for God's 
people are one people. The opposition now so 
common will be crushed under the hammer of 
God's word. The great King, riding in his 
chariot, stained with blood, whose gigantic 
wheels roll in fire, shall pass over these oppo- 
sitions, and shall grind them to powder. The 
Devil shall not always hold sway, but earth's 
womanhood being redeemed, shall yet arise, 
and consecrate her talents and her powers to 
God. Then let America's women press for- 
ward to higher attainments ; for, if Christ is 
ever proclaimed universal King, it must be 
done by the united voices of men and women. 
If we bury our talent, or refuse to consecrate 
all our powers to the work God has given us, 
he will take away our talent, and confer 
upon others the honor of being co-workers 
with him. The work which God has assigned 
us would delight an angel. They would gladly 
lay down their harps of gold, and leave the 



Or the Question Answered. 187 

shining retinue of heaven, to bear the message 
of mercy to man — to publish the glad tidings 
of great joy. God has seen fit to select you 
and me, and shall we refuse to go? Shall we 
be "disobedient unto the heavenly vision?" 

That God has wonderfully and powerfully 
blessed woman in her work, all agree. Just as 
well try to pluck the sun from his orbit, as to 
stop her in the work which God has assigned 
her. The Macedonian cry, " Come over and 
help us," is sounding in our ear?, and many are 
heeding the call, and much by woman has al- 
ready been done. Through her instrumentality, 
Religion's golden chain has bound the hearts of 
many poor heathen to the throne of God; and 
yet 

"From Greenland's icy mountains, 

From India's coral strand, 
Where Afric's sunny fountains 

Roll down their golden sand, — 
From many an ancient river, 
From many a palmy plain, 
They call us to deliver 
Their lands from Error's chain. 

Shall we, whose souls are lighted 

With wisdom from on high, — 
Shall we, to men benighted, 

The lamp of life deny ? 
Salvation, oh, salvation ! 

The joyfui sound proclaim, 
Till earth's remotest nation 

Has learned Messiah's name." 

Women of America, and of God, let us, for 



188 Shall Woman Preach? 

the sake of what he has done for us, give our- 
selves wholly to his work, seekingthe guidance 
of the Holy Spirit, remembering that we are 
not our own, that we have been bought with a 
price — even the blood of Christ. The fields 
are waving with ripened grain. " Thrust in thy 
sickle and reap : . . . . for the harvest of the 
earth is ripe. Come, get you down; for the 
press is full, the fats overflow; for their wick- 
edness is great." "Well enough" is never at- 
tained. It is impossible to standstill; we must 
go forward or backward. Which will we do? 
Oh! who will come to the front? Our motto 
is, Forward, march. Let us rally, and advanc- 
ing in God's name, let us look to the hills 
from whence cometh our help. Let us like 
Paul " press toward the mark for the prize of 
the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Let 
us willingly give our hearts and our hands to 
the work which God giveth us to do. 



MY GALL TO THE MINISTRY. 

o 

The author of this little volume was horn at 
Millwood, Grayson County, Ky., March 24, 
1862. Her father, Anthony Layman, is still a 
citizen of that county, and, from her earliest 
recollection, has been a member of the Baptist 
Church, and for a great many years has served 
his church as clerk. Being a man of moder- 
ate means and of Baptist faith, he did not take 
the interest in education that he might and 
should have done ; and being taught from early 
childhood that the Baptist Church was the 
church of Jesus Christ to the. exclusion of all 
others, and that they alone could preach a pure 
gospel, having the legal right to administer the 
ordinances of the Church of God, it would be 
nothing more than natural that to some extent 
the writer would entertain this opinion. But, 
thanks be to God, there has been a change. 
Old things have passed away and all things 
have become new. When but a child, in my 
twelfth year, I was led by the Spirit to seek 
after God and the blessings promised through 
the atoning merits of Christ's blood. When 
all was laid upon his altar, it pleased God to 
accept the offering, pardon past offenses, and 

189 



190 Shall Woman Preachf 

save from sin and guilt the unworthy caller for 
his name's sake. Thus peace was made with 
God, being sealed with the Spirit of promise, 
and I was made to rejoice in God my salvation. 
Soon after, I was impressed to labor in the 
vineyard of the Lord, seeing the harvest was 
truly plenteous and the laborers few. But 
feeling my inabilities, I was made to inquire, 
who is sufficient for these things? In this I 
found no relief and felt to excuse myself on 
the ground that I was too young. Not having 
so much as ever heard of a lady preacher, and 
knowing that there would be opposition, I tried 
to persuade myself that it was not right for 
women to preach. I was uneducated and 
many obstacles were in the way ; and to say the 
least df it, the struggle was a hard one. Thus I 
passed my girlhood days. 

On February 20th, 1879, I was inarried to 
Curtis G. Woosley, of Caneyville, Ky. I entered 
upon the duties of a wife with a light heart, 
hoping to find relief by getting my husband to 
respond in my behalf. This I failed to do. I 
would gladly have the hand laid on him that I 
felt was laid on me. Instead of getting rid of 
the impressions, they were made more sensible. 
In order to justify myself in refusing to obey 
the instructions of the Holy Spirit and go to 



Or the Question Answered. 191 

work for the Master, I set to work to read the 
Bible through carefully, marking all the places 
where a woman was mentioned. From these 
notes I have written this book, and now send it 
out, as I hope, to bless the world. I pray that 
it may help others to decide to work for the 
Master. 

In the fall of 1882, I began my Bible search 
on this question. I commenced with Genesis, 
and in the summer of 1883 I found myself at 
the Amen of Revelation. I was now convinced 
of the fact that God, being no respecter of 
persons, had not overlooked the women, but 
that he had a great work for them to do. My 
impressions were felt more sensibly than ever 
before. I felt, "Woe is unto me if I preach 
not the gospel." In my search for relief from 
the Bible, instead of finding any comfort, I 
found sorrow of heart. A dark cloud over- 
spread my sky; the light that once shone across 
my path was gone ; and my hope for heaven 
was at times almost cut off. I now began to 
doubt my conversion; I felt I had made a 
mistake. During this time the darkness in- 
creased; the storm beat hard against me. Thus 
months passed, and I was so miserable, that 
my life was a burden, and I did not care to 
live : and yet my way was not clear — I was 



192 Shall Woman Preach 9 

afraid to die. I prayed : " Lord, restore unto 
me the joy of thy salvation," and promised to 
work for him if he would only restore and 
bless me as at first. The blessing came so full 
that I could not doubt his forgiving love. 

Then I felt to say: "The people will not 
hear me, and I cannot get any work to do, and 
my husband will not be willing to let me go." 
So I excused myself, but the conviction still 
followed me — my duty was as clear as a sun- 
beam, and I saw and understood it just as clearly 
as when I came to Christ a poor penitent sin- 
ner. I saw in him a fullness and felt my sins 
forgiven; but I said: "How can I go? my peo- 
ple will dislike it." Here language fails me, 
and none but those who have been called by 
God to leave their homes and friends, and labor 
in the vineyard of the Lord, can know anything 
about such a struggle. The painter's brush 
could not paint the picture, and none but God 
and those whom he calls can understand it. 
We cannot tell it, but like the man born blind 
whose eyes Jesus opened, I can only say, 
" One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, 
nowIsee,"and "herein is a marvellous thing;" 
I know two things, the one as clearly as the 
other: namely, that God for Christ's sake has 
forgiven my sins, and that he has laid his hand 



Or the Question Answered. 193 

upon me. But I kept this locked up in my 
own heart. "Neither told I any man what my 
God had put in my heart to do." 

By this time other difficulties were in the 
way. It pleased God to bless our marriage 
with two children — a sweet little girl and 
bright little boy. Now I excused myself by 
saying, I cannot leave my children; they need 
my care and attention, and with them I must 
and will stay. None but those who have ex- 
perienced the dealing of God with mortals, 
know anything of the darkness and gloom by 
which I was surrounded. Still I refused to 
heed the motor within. But God knew best, 
and he doeth all things well. The hand of af- 
fliction was laid upon my firstborn, a sweet 
little girl. I was stricken with anguish as the 
physican said, Your child is beyond the hope 
of recovery. Heart broken, I went to my 
closet and besought God for my child. I felt 
that God was opening the way and intended to 
remove the hinderances, though it be by death. 
I laid myself and child upon his alcar, saying, 
" Thy will, O God, be done. If thou wilt have 
me preach thy gospel, give me back my child. 
By this may I know and thy work I will do." 
It pleased that God, who worketh when and 
where he pleaseth, to spare my child. Truly 

13 



194 Shall Woman Preaclt? 

God works in a mysterious way his wonders to 
perform, and his ways are past finding out. 

I found upon recovery of my child that I 
was still unwilling to go. I said, " Now I am 
slow of speech, I am not educated, and the 
people will not hear me. And perhaps my 
husband will not be willing." But God did 
not excuse me. My promise was continually 
before me. Oh, how dark those days! My 
health now began to fail me. In the fall of '85 
I found myself confined to my room; six 
months later I was reduced to a frame, and as 
helpless as an infant. My promises stood out 
before me. I had so often promised and then 
refused to obey God, it seemed like mockery to 
make another. So I hesitated. My duty was 
made plain to me. I was impressed if I would 
consent to preach my health would be restored, 
and the strength needed should be given. 
Thanks be to God! I have found it even so. 
And I now rejoice that through God I over- 
came the weakness that flesh is heir to, and that 
by his grace I would stand for God and preach 
his gospel. Sink or swim, live or die, his work 
henceforth should my pleasure be, and to win 
souls to Christ should be second to nothing. 
As I write, I bless God for that day and the 
victory gained. Though unable to raise myself 



Or the Question Answered. 195 

in bed, I laid myself, my husband and two dear 
children upon God's altar, and with all my 
heart I said, "Oh Lord, lead me in a plain 
path, and show me thy way, that I may walk 
therein." By faith I put my hand in his, as he 
reached out to help me, and thus far he has led 
me even all the way. And now with Paul lean 
say, " An effectual door has been opened unto 
me, and woe is me if I preach not his gospel," 
for "I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, 
and I dare not go back." 

My health began (soon after giving all to 
God) to improve. I made known to no person 
my intention to preach the gospel, being fully 
determined to improve the first opportunity 
afforded. On the night of Jan. 1, 1887, I 
found the way open. I was called upon by the 
session to conduct the services of the hour, our 
pastor not being present. At first I thought 
to excuse myself, but before I could do this 
my promises rushed in upon me, and I said, 
By the help of God I will do the best I can. 
And for the first time in life I went to the 
sacred desk and opened my mouth for God, 
Oh, that was a precious hour — a green spot in 
my memory. A happy season it seemed. My 
sun had reached its meridian height, and the 
light of the Lord in its effulgent fullness shone 



196 - Shall Woman Preach f 

round about me. My sky was without a cloud, 
so happy was I in the discharge of duty. I felt 
that the days of darkness were past, and that 
God's approval rested upon my labors. But, 
alas! this state of things did not last long. 
The fire of opposition began to burn. A cloud 
arose, and the winds of adversity began to 
blow, and the waves of criticism beat against 
me. Friends of former days were now foes. 
Even my father turned his back upon me. All 
earthly help failed me, and so I don't wonder 
that no man taketh this honor to himself, but 
he that is called of God as was Aaron. The 
storms may rage, the winds may blow, the 
waves may roll high, but I never expect them 
to go over my head. And through them all 
thus far I have been safely led. To-day, my 
sky is clear, the storm has abated, and my 
God on the waves is walking; the winds he 
holds in his hands, his voice like music I hear 
as it falls in accents so sweet on my soul, say- 
ing, " Peace, be still. Fear not, for I am with 
thee." And in the light of this new day, after 
a year's hard struggle and toil in trying, amid 
it all, to hold up Christ as the sinner's friend 
and the Savior of men, what could give us 
more joy than to look out and see a father 
coming back to meet and own his child ! To 



Or the Question Answered. 197 

day I thank God that he has given me back my 
father and my friends,, and counted me worthy 
to suffer for his name's sake. And I rejoice 
to know that I go forth with the good wishes 
of all my people. 

In the fall of '87 I was received by the Nolin 
Presbytery as a candidate for the ministry. In 
November, '88, I was licensed to preach the 
gospel. In November, '89, 1 was ordained by said 
Presbytery to the full work of the gospel min- 
istry. I have been since that time trying to win 
souls to Christ, by leading them from darkness 
to light, from death unto life. I have en- 
deavored to sow the seed in the morning. God 
being my helper, I expect to b^tr the heat and 
the burden of the day, and in the evening 
withhold not my hand. Let me ask you, dear 
reader, for your prayers, that I may be able to 
gather fruit unto life eternal, that God maybe 
glorified in the salvation of many souls. When 
I first started in this work there were but few 
houses open to me. Now I have calls coming 
from every quarter. For all which I give God 
the glory, for he is worthy. A bright future 
is before me, yet I know not what awaits me. 
But through God I expect to conquer. With 
Paul I can say, "As much as in me is, I am 
now ready to preach the gospel to others, 



198 Shall Woman Preach ? 

glorying not save in the cross of Christ, by 
which the world is crucified unto me and I 
unto the world. From henceforth let no man 
trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of 
the Lord Jesus. Therefore, I testify unto you 
that in all ages they that fear God and work 
righteousness are accepted with him. For 
with God there is no respect of persons, neither 
male nor female in Christ. 

As said above, upon my sick bed I decided 
to go to work for my Master. I made a full and 
complete sacrifice of myself and my all. I gave 
my husband and children to the Lord, and 
trusted him alone for everything. Since that 
time I have not counted anything as my own, 
but as the Lord's. At that time I had only one 
little home, but now God has given me thou- 
sands of friends, who have opened their hearts 
and their homes to me. When I first entered 
the field, we were greatly in debt, on account 
of sickness, and we had no money. I did not 
stop for that, I went right on, and made ar- 
rangements for meetings, even without a cent 
of money to pay my traveling expenses. The 
means have always been provided, and my 
needs supplied, sometimes in an almost mir- 
aculous way. And I thank God that to-day I 
owe no one any thing, but to do him good and 



Or the Question Answered. 199 

to help him on the way to heaven. In this 
sense, I feel that "I am debtor both to the 
Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the 
wise and the unwise. So as much as in me is I 
am ready to preach the gospel" to others; 
"for necessity is laid upon me." 

I have now been in the work four years, 
and thank God for the day I started. I com- 
menced my work in humble places. The first 
summer I preached out-of-doors, in the open 
air, and in school-houses, but God blessed my 
labors. On account of opposition in my own 
denomination, we have failed to get some valu- 
able members. At one time, at the close of 
one of my meetings, the Methodist Church re- 
ceived forty additions. At first I had no calls 
scarcely at all from my own people, but now 
they come from every quarter, and it is im- 
possible for me to respond to one-tenth of the 
calls I receive. I can say truly God has 
opened for me an effectual door. 

During the four years of my ministry I have 
preached nine hundred and twelve sermons; 
for which God has given me two souls each. 
For two thousand souls more I am willing to 
consecrate the remainder of my life to God. 
Over five hundred have been received into the 
C, P. Church under my ministry. With a joy- 



200 Shall Woman Preach ? 

> 

ful heart, and a bright future before nie, I lay 
aside my pen to resume the duties that God 
has made obligatory upon me. Let come 
what may, I know the Lord God and the Holy 
Spirit have sent me. 

" Thus far the Lord hath led me on." 

"Land ahead ! its fruits are waving 

O'er the hills of fadeless green, 
And the living waters laving 

Shores, where heavenly forms are seen. 

Rocks and storms I'll fear no more, 

When on that eternal shore ; 
Drop the unchor ! furl the sail ! 

I am safe within the vail." 

I have learned by experience that, "All that 
will live godly shall suffer persecution." But 
we have the promise of the life that now is, 
and of that which is to come. When our 
glorious work is done, and time on earth is 
passed, and eternity is begun, and God has 
gathered us up into his house of "many man- 
sions;" amid the chiming of the towers of the 
great city, and the songs of welcome, we will 
press our way up to the throne, and lay our 
trophies down — all down at Jesus' feet. And 
then on golden harps we will join in singing 
praises to his name. 



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